Evidence for...Vitamin D for heart disease prevention

25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Men: A Prospective Study.
Giovannucci E et al.
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168:1174-80.
Blood samples of 454 men (age 40-75 years) who had non-fatal heart attack or fatal coronary heart disease over a 10-year follow-up period were compared with blood samples of 900 living men who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease. Men with a vitamin D deficiency (≤15 ng/mL of blood ) had an increased risk for heart attack compared with those with a sufficient amount (≥30 ng/mL of blood) of vitamin D, even after controlling for factors known to be associated with coronary artery disease. Men with intermediate vitamin D levels (15-30 ng/mL) were also at elevated risk relative to those with sufficient vitamin D levels.


Vitamin D deficiency and risk of cardiovascular disease.
Wang TJ et al.
Circulation. 2008;117:503-11.
In a study of 1739 offspring from Framingham Heart Study participants (average age 59 years, all Caucasian), researchers found that those with blood levels of vitamin D less than 15 ng/mL had twice the risk of a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack, heart failure or stroke in the next 5 years compared to those with higher levels of vitamin D.


Vitamin D supplementation improves cytokine profiles in patients with congestive heart failure: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Schleithoff SS et al.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83:754-9.
123 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) received either 50 microg/day of vitamin D3 plus 500 mg/day of calcium or placebo plus 500 mg/day of calcium, for 9 months. Data indicated that vitamin D3 reduces the inflammatory milieu in CHF patients and might serve as a new anti-inflammatory agent for the future treatment of this disease.