A growing body of research shows that vitamin D may be beneficial in preventing heart disease. Several recent studies also support the idea that low levels of vitamin D are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. However, says a [s]Eurekalert[/s] report on material presented at a session of the [b]American College of Cardiology[/b], it is still not clear whether adding vitamin D supplements may help reduce that risk. In the largest study of its kind to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D levels and coronary artery disease, vitamin D deficiency was observed in 70.4% of patients undergoing coronary angiography.
Vitamin D deficiency was associated with higher prevalence of coronary artery disease, with a 32% higher occurrence in patients with the lowest vitamin D levels and a near 20% higher frequency of severe disease affecting multiple vessels. A progressive increase in heart disease was found according to the severity of vitamin D deficiency. ‘Present results suggest vitamin D deficiency to be the cause rather than the consequence of atherosclerosis,’ said [b]Dr Monica Verdoia, spec ialising cardiologist at Eastern Piedmont University[/b] in Italy, and investigator on the study. ‘Although evidence of benefits with vitamin D supplementation in cardiovascular outcomes are still lacking, strategies to raise endogenous vitamin D should probably be advised in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.’
[link url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/acoc-msh032614.php]Full Eurekalert report[/link]
[link url=http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/acoc-msh032614.php]ACC Research summary[/link]