Insufficient intake of vitamin D, long known to play a key role in bone health, may significantly increase a person’s risk of stroke, heart disease and even death, a US study said Monday.
Examining 27,686 Utah patients aged 50 or older with no history of cardiovascular disease, the study found those with very low vitamin D levels were 77 percent more likely to die early than those with normal levels.
They were also found to be 45 percent more likely to develop coronary artery disease and 78 percent were more likely to have a stroke, said the research by the Heart Institute at the Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
Those with very low levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to develop heart failure, said the study which was due to be presented later Monday at a conference organized by the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida.
Source: Yahoo News – Vitamin D deficiency linked to strokes, heart disease: study