Vitamin D Levels and risk of heart attacks.

As a reminder, Vitamin D is an important vitamin which functions as a hormone and is involved with so many processes within the body.  Most people are significantly deficient as a result of decreased sunlight exposure, dietary intake, and/or poor absorption.  This paper suggests that lower levels of Vitamin D may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.  They evaluated men 40-75 years of age, confirmed that they were free of coronary vascular disease and evaluated blood samples initially and they were followed over the course of 10 years.  The men that had heart attacks had lower levels of Vitamin D.

Giovannucci, EG, et. al.  Arch Intern Med. 2008; 168(11): 1174-1180.

A starting dose should be 5000 IU daily.

Jason & Rita