Vitamin D Vital for the Heart

Lack of the sunlight-derived nutrient tied to increased cardiovascular events
Posted December 1, 2008

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Dec. 1 (HealthDay News) — A lack of vitamin D, which is absorbed primarily through exposure to sunlight, helps boost the risk of heart attacks and strokes, new research finds.

“There are a whole array of studies linking increased cardiovascular risk with vitamin D deficiency,” noted Dr. James H. O’Keefe, director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City. “It is associated with major risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and stiffening of the left ventricle of the heart and blood vessels. Inflammation is really important for heart disease, and people with vitamin D deficiency have increased inflammation.”