HEART DISEASE: Vitamin D deficiency may increase the mortality rate in heart patients, according to a new Austrian study. Of the 3,259 cardiac patients who participated in the study, those with the lowest vitamin D level had nearly double the death rate of other patients.

The study highlights a possible link between vitamin D deficiency and higher mortality rates. The majority of patients who died during the study died from cardiovascular disease. The number of deaths from both heart failure and all other causes, however, was highest for the group with serum vitamin D levels below 20 nanograms a milliliter.

Low Vitamin D Levels Double Mortality for Heart Patients

Dr. Harald Dobnig and colleagues from the Medical University of Graz in Austria, recently published their findings from the eight-year study:

Study participants with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D had nearly double the number of deaths from all causes, even after researchers factored in exercise, heart disease and other variables.

Researchers defined low serum levels of vitamin D between 5 and 10 nanograms a milliliter. They considered healthy levels between 20 and 30 nanograms a milliliter.

"This is the first association study that shows vitamin D affects mortality regardless of the (primary) reason for death," Dobnig said. (Reuters, 6/23/08)

Why Higher Death Rate for Those with Lower Vitamin D?

Dobnig said the higher risk of death for heart patients with low levels of vitamin D may be due to a number of factors. Vitamin D deficiencies can lead to several health problems that may cause death, including...

• high blood pressure
• heart attack
• low bone density
• cancer progression

Dobnig and colleagues theorized that vitamin D's anti-inflammatory properties may protect the heart by lowering plaque production and build-up in arteries.

More than Half of Seniors Likely Deficient in Sunshine Vitamin

The best and most useful doses of vitamin D come from our bodies' ability to make the chemical when our skin is exposed to sunlight. That's why vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin." Spending 10 to 20 minutes outside at midday helps us get enough vitamin D to stay healthy.

Dobnig estimated that 50% to 60% of older people worldwide don't have enough vitamin D in their blood. The numbers may not be much better for younger people. This could be for several reasons:

1. Fear of skin cancer—using UV-blocking sunscreen keeps skin from making vitamin D
2. Increased urbanization—spending more time indoors working and living means get less sun exposure and therefore less vitamin D production
3. Air pollution—blocks the UV rays our skin needs to convert light to vitamin D
4. Sedentary lifestyle—spending less time in outdoor activities means people get less vitamin D

So, though we can get enough vitamin D from the sun, most people don't. Supplements, however, are not necessarily the answer.

Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a cardiology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, cautioned against taking vitamin D supplements.

"Clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation ... are absolutely needed before treatment recommendations can be made," Fonarow said. "The few clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation conducted to date have been quite disappointing." (Forbes, 6/23/08)

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Question for Readers:

How do you plan on getting enough vitamin D?