Women who take vitamin D supplements
lower their risk of death from heart disease by one-third.
Low levels of vitamin D in
the blood have previously been correlated with higher risk of heart disease
and heart attacks. Dr. Paul D. Varosy set out to determine if taking vitamin
D supplements decreases this risk.
His team analyzed data from
nearly 10,000 women over the age of 65 who were enrolled in a study of
how often osteoporosis causes broken bones. Of these, more than 4,200
women reported that they took vitamin D supplements at the time of the
study, and another 733 reported a prior history of supplement use.
After following the women for
an average of nearly 11 years, researchers found that the risk of heart
disease death was 31% lower in those women who were taking vitamin D at
the time of the study.
The researchers note that calcium
supplements, education, self-reported health status or health-related
behaviors had no effect on the protection afforded by vitamin D.
42nd annual
conference on Cardiovascular Disease and Epidemiology Prevention in Honolulu,
Hawaii. April 23, 2002
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