Reuters Health reports that while previous research has also found a link between lower vitamin D levels and increased risk for heart disease and stroke, this is the first study to analyze the association over time--which can be useful in determining if it's the low vitamin D level that is actually causing the cardiovascular problems.
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The study: Led by Dr. Thomas J. Wang, the team studied data from 1,739 members of the Framingham Offspring Study, all of whom were free from heart disease and stroke at the start of the study period in 1996. Their vitamin D levels were measured through a simple blood test, and 28 percent had low levels. During a five-year follow-up through 2001, 120 of the participants suffered a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problem.
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The results: The rate of cardiovascular events was roughly doubled in patients with vitamin D deficiency, according to the report published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. However, the association was only significant statistically for people who had high blood pressure. And it's an alarming association. Even after accounting for such variables as age, gender and other factors, those who had low vitamin D levels had more than double the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke than those who vitamin D levels were normal.
