News
Can vitamin D lower blood pressure?
30 August 2013
A new study from Scotland suggests that vitamin D supplementation does not lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Experts criticize the study’s validity.
16 December 2011
According to a new US study, vitamin D supplementation may be associated with an increased survival rate, specifically in cardiovascular patients with documented deficiency.
In the observational cohort study, blood vitamin D concentrations, vitamin D supplement use and survival rate were analyzed in 10,899 cardiovascular patients (mean age 58 years) for five years and eight months (1). The study results showed that about 70% of the patients were vitamin D deficient (levels below
30 ng/ml). Vitamin D deficiency was associated with several cardiovascular-related diseases, including hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes. In addition, vitamin D deficiency was a strong independent predictor of all-cause mortality after adjusting for multiple clinical variables. Vitamin D supplementation improved survival overall, but only to a significant degree in deficient patients. The dose and duration of vitamin D supplementation were not analyzed.
The researchers concluded that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with a significant risk of cardiovas-cular disease and reduced survival. Vitamin D supplementation seems to be significantly associated with better survival, and particularly in patients with deficiency.
A growing body of evidence has identified vitamin D deficiency as a potential widespread risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Recent evidence supports an association of vitamin D deficiency with hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, and heart failure (2, 3). Although epidemiologic evidence for an association between vitamin D deficiency and several cardiovascular diseases is strong, studies investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation on patient survival have had inconsistent results (4, 5).
30 August 2013
A new study from Scotland suggests that vitamin D supplementation does not lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Experts criticize the study’s validity.
6 August 2014
A new UK review reports that taking supplements with folic acid and/or vitamin B12 does not slow age-related mental decline. Experts commented that these conclusions are in contrast to the well accepted benefits of B vitamins for brain health and ignore latest research.
23 January 2013
A new study suggests that increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids may improve the function of the cells lining blood vessels in smokers.