CAN VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS DROP YOUR heart attack risk? A recently reported randomized trial suggests the answer is maybe.
Today, I will explore this randomized clinical trial. Researchers report that people over 60 taking vitamin D had fewer cardiovascular events than those given a placebo.
However, the risk differences were slight between the two groups.
“Wear me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, passion cruel as the grave.” ― William Shakespeare, Henry V.
Heart Attack Basics
This topic hits close to home, as my father died of a heart attack and related stroke in his 86th year.
Oddly, he began to speak sentences backward. As the speech was his gift, I was not surprised when he said, “three weeks.” He died exactly three weeks later.
A heart attack (or myocardial infarction) is a critical emergency. The incident involves a sudden blockage in one or more heart arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood.
This blockage is usually due to the buildup of plaques, fatty deposits on the artery walls. These plaques can rupture and form blood clots, dropping blood flow to the heart.
With less blood, some heart muscles may not get enough oxygen. The muscle is to die if blow flow is not quickly restored.
Heart Attacks Are Common
Heart attacks are alarmingly common in the United States, posing a significant public health concern.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA):
Someone in the U.S. has a heart attack roughly every 40 seconds. This frequency translates to nearly 805,000 Americans annually suffering from a new or recurrent heart attack.
Furthermore, heart disease, including heart attacks, remains the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for one in every four deaths.
Heart Attack Risk Factors
Numerous risk factors contribute to the development of heart attacks. Some of the most prominent ones include the following:
- Age
- Family history of heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol levels
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Diabetes.
Other contributants to heart attack risk include excessive alcohol consumption, stress, and poor dietary habits.
Understanding and addressing these risk factors through lifestyle modifications and appropriate medical interventions are crucial in reducing the incidence of heart attacks and promoting heart health in the population.
Regular exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, avoiding smoking, and managing underlying health conditions can significantly lower the risk of heart attacks and lead to a healthier heart and life.
Vitamin D Might Drop Heart Attack Risk
Australian researchers conducted a randomized trial to determine if vitamin D supplementation changed the incidence of cardiovascular events in older adults.
The research team recruited over 21,000 adults 60 years or older. They excluded those with self-reported high calcium levels, soft bones, overactive thyroid, kidney stones, or sarcoidosis from the study. They also did not include those who already took more than 500 IU daily vitamin D.
The scientists randomly assigned the volunteers to one or two groups:
- A single 60,000 IU vitamin D capsule per month for up to five years.
- A placebo one per month for up to five years.
The researchers then identified subjects who had a heart attack or stroke., using hospital records.
Vitamin D and Heart Attack Study Results
Here are the results:
The rate of major cardiovascular events was 9 percent lower in the vitamin D group than in the placebo group. Six hundred ninety-nine participants taking the placebo and 637 taking vitamin D experienced a significant event.
The heart attack rate was about one-fifth (19 percent) lower in participants who took vitamin D.
Still, the scientists found no differences in stroke rates between those taking vitamin D and placebo participants.
The researchers discovered some evidence that vitamin D intake had a larger effect on participants who were taking statins or other heart-related medications at the study’s onset. However, the findings were not statistically significant.
My Take — Can Vitamin D Supplements Drop Your Heart Attack Risk?
The analysis found that 172 people would need monthly vitamin D supplements to avoid one significant cardiovascular event.
My takeaway is less impressive than the headlines I read on the topic. The absolute improvement associated with vitamin D supplementation was small.
Statistically, the results had wide confidence intervals, meaning the study did not prove a vitamin D-related improvement.
Future research might focus on groups (for example. individuals taking statins) for whom vitamin D has a bigger impact.
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The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
Thank you for reading “Vitamin D and Your Heart.”
