Increase vitamin D intake to protect your heart

According to a recent study low levels of total vitamin D can help predict a person's risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.

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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : April 3, 2016 3:48 PM IST

Low levels of total vitamin D and bio-available vitamin D can help predict a person's risk of major adverse cardiovascular events such as a heart attack, stroke, heart failure or death, according to a recent study. Our study found that low levels of both total vitamin D and bioavailable vitamin D appear to be associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes, said lead author Heidi May from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute.

The study evaluated 4,200 participants between the ages of 52 and 76. A quarter of the study participants were diabetic and 70 percent had coronary artery disease. The study tested many different types of vitamin D, but found that measuring total vitamin D and bioavailable vitamin D were the most accurate in predicting harmful cardiovascular events. This study is the first research that evaluates the association of vitamin D metabolites with cardiovascular events, said Dr. May. And evaluating usable vitamin D could mean the difference on the amount of vitamin D prescribed, if it's prescribed at all.

The study expands on the results of several observational studies, including some performed at Intermountain Healthcare, but researchers recommend conducting more studies on non-Caucasian populations because past research shows vitamin D metabolites affect Caucasian and non-Caucasian races differently. Results are presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients our body needs and is often one of the most ignored. Blame it on the lifestyle but according to a recent country-wide survey done by SRL Diagnostics, Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in around 69 per cent of the population. Meanwhile, 15 per cent more were found to be vitamin D insufficient, taking the total proportion of risk-prone Indians to 84 per cent, said Dr BR Das, President-Research & Innovation, Mentor-Molecular Pathology and Clinical Research Services, SRL Diagnostics Limited. Here are top 5 sources of Vitamin D.

With inputs from ANI

Image source: Getty Images


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