Vitamin D deficiency linked to heart trouble

Vitamin D has long been associated with a healthy heart. Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute located in Salt Lake City, Utah have found the level at which lack of vitamin D becomes detrimental.

Their findings suggest that vitamin D levels below 15 nanograms per milliliter increase the risk of cardiac issues.

Traditionally, healthy levels of vitamin D were associated with blood levels of 30 nanograms per milliliter or higher, but this new research suggests that it doesn’t need to be that high. Recently, other researchers have proposed that anything above 15 nanograms was sufficient to keep people out of the danger zone, and this new research proves they may be correct.

The study tracked 230,000 patients for a period of three years. The researchers followed major cardiac events such as heart attack, stroke, death, coronary artery disease and kidney failure. The highest risk group with the lowest vitamin D levels was found to have a 35% higher risk of having a major cardiac event than those with vitamin D levels of 15 nanograms per milliliter or more.

Vitamin D is made by the body in response to sunlight, and is also found in foods like egg yolks, salmon and mushrooms. Despite this, vitamin D deficiency remains quite common.

Source:

NewsMax.com