Lack of vitamin D may increase heart disease risk
The same vitamin D deficiency that can result in weak bones, now has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Framingham Heart Study researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
“Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, above and beyond established cardiovascular risk factors,” said Dr Thomas J Wang, assistant professor of medicine at
“The higher risk associated with vitamin D deficiency was particularly evident among individuals with high blood pressure.”
In a study of 1,739 offspring from Framingham Heart Study participants (average age 59, all Caucasian), researchers found that those with blood levels of vitamin D below15 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), had twice the risk of a cardiovascular event such as, a heart attack, heart failure or stroke in the next five years, compared to those with higher levels of vitamin D.
When researchers adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure, the risk remained significant, with a 62% higher risk of a cardiovascular event in participants with low levels of vitamin D, compared to those with higher levels.
Researchers also found an increase in cardiovascular risk with each level of vitamin D deficiency.
