Can Supplemental Vitamin D Lower Heart Disease Risks? What the Study Indicates

According to a recent research, those with greater blood levels of vitamin D are mostly protected from developing any kind of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD), one of the main causes of mortality in the modern world, is the umbrella term for conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. Heart attacks and strokes have increased dramatically in recent years due to the aging population and the rise of chronic illnesses among the elderly. But vitamin D pills may be used to combat the situation. Vitamin D supplements may reduce the incidence of heart attack or any other major cardiac events in persons 60 years of age or older when taken once a month, according to research results published in the journal BMJ.

The research included more than 21,000 people between the ages of 60 and 84. They were divided into two groups and given a monthly pill containing 60,000 IU of vitamin D or a placebo. Early exclusion from the study included individuals who were already taking more than 500 IU of vitamin D per day, as well as those with a history of high calcium levels, kidney stones, hyperparathyroidism, osteomalacia, soft bones, and sarcoidosis.

According to the study’s findings, individuals who took vitamin D had a 9% decrease in the risk of developing major cardiovascular disorders compared to those who took a placebo. The risk of heart attack was 19 percent lower and the incidence of coronary revascularization was 11 percent lower in the vitamin D group, despite the fact that the rates of stroke did not differ between the two groups.

Over 80% of participants in the five-year therapy, which ran from 2014 to 2020, reported using at least 80% of the provided pills. Only 1,336 patients (1.3% of the Vitamin D group and 6.6% of the placebo group) in the experiment had a serious cardiac problem.

A person’s body creates vitamin D when his skin is directly exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is a chemical that can be consumed even though relatively few foods contain it. People with heart-related issues may include oily fish, oranges, yogurt, and certain types of mushrooms in their regular diets since these foods contain high levels of vitamin D.