Vitamin D lack linked to arterial stiffness
8 July 2011
New light has been shed on the link between vitamin D and cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) in a study showing patients with low blood levels of vitamin D have increased arterial stiffness and abnormalities of blood vessel lining.
US researchers checked the vitamin D levels of 550 patients who had no symptoms, finding an association between low vitamin D levels and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) irrespective of other CVD risk factors such as body mass index (BMI), cholesterol and race.
"Our findings of increased arterial stiffness and [blood vessel lining abnormalities] with low vitamin D provide an ... explanation of how depressed vitamin D status ... might predispose individuals to a higher risk of CVD and adverse events," the authors said (Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2011; 58: 186-92).
They found that among 42 patients whose vitamin D levels returned to normal during the 6-month study period, arterial stiffness also improved.
Australian research has shown around 40 per cent of women and 23 per cent of men have low levels of vitamin D, while among the elderly living in nursing homes this can increase to 80 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile, a review from the Cochrane Collaboration examining the effect of vitamin D supplements versus placebo (dummy treatment) in almost 95,000 elderly patients (79 per cent women, mean age 74 years) found supplements could reduce mortality by around 6 per cent.
"[This] corresponds to 200 participants that need to be treated over a median of 2 years to save one additional life," the authors said (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011; 7: CD007470).
The survival gain was seen for vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) but not another supplement form, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), or the active forms of vitamin D (alfacalcidol and calcitriol).
"Vitamin D in the form of vitamin D(3) seems to decrease mortality in predominantly elderly women who are mainly in institutions and dependent care," the authors concluded.
Last Reviewed: 08 July 2011
- 1. Al Mheid I, Patel R, Murrow J, et al. Vitamin D status is associated with arterial stiffness and vascular dysfunction in healthy humans. J Am Coll Cardiol 2011; 58: 186-92. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2011.02.051. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109711014033 (accessed Jul 2011).
2. Bjelakovic G, Gluud LL, Nikolova D, et al. Vitamin D supplementation for prevention of mortality in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011; 7: CD007470. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007470.pub2. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD007470/frame.html (accessed Jul 2011).
