Vitamin D Benefits Heart Health in Cohort Study

Vitamin D supplementation could significantly improve heart health in vitamin D deficient patients, according to a U.S. cohort study published in The American Journal of Cardiology.

Researchers at the University of Kansas tested serum vitamin D levels in 10,899 patients, 71% of whom were women and 70.3% of whom were vitamin D deficient.

Compared to patients with normal vitamin D levels, patients with vitamin D deficiency were considered more than twice as likely to have diabetes, 29% more likely to have cardiomyopathy, and 40% more likely to have high blood pressure. Furthermore, patients with vitamin D deficiency were more than three times as likely to die from all-cause death during the study.

Independent of cardio-protective drug use, patients who took vitamin D supplements saw better survival rates. These patients were 60% less likely to die from any cause during the study-a benefit deemed significant only in patients who initially tested as vitamin D deficient.

“Our study suggests a significant association of vitamin D supplement use and improved survival in deficient subjects, supporting the potential benefit of this intervention,” wrote the study’s lead researcher.

While the study supports gaining research on vitamin D and a potential benefit for heart health, some limitations were noted. Use of multivitamins was not considered as vitamin D supplementation and dose and duration of vitamin D supplementation were not analyzed.