Lake Champlain Cardiology Associates
52 Tom Miller Rd., Plattsburgh, NY 12901  (518) 563-2404
www.lccahearts.com

Vitamin D and the Heart

We have known for a long time that Vitamin D is necessary for healthy bones. It was recently discovered that Vitamin D may also be important for the health of your heart as well.

Several scientific studies, including the prestigious Framingham Study, have shown that people with low levels of vitamin D have a high risk of serious cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, and even death.

People most likely to be deficient in vitamin D are those who are overweight, live far from the Tropics, do not get much sun exposure, are elderly, and smokers. Some experts believe that 50% of the population may be deficient in vitamin D. Foods high in Vitamin D are fatty fi sh and dairy products.

Checking for vitamin D deficiency is easy. It requires a simple, inexpensive blood test for 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Levels less than 30 are considered low.

The U.S. government currently recommends 200-600 IU of vitamin D daily. However, most experts now believe that 800-2000 IU of vitamin D are required. Doses this high are hard to achieve without supplementation, especially this far north. Doses above 10,000 IU per day can be dangerous and should be avoided.

It is important to point out that we do not know if vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of heart disease. Research may take several years to complete to answer this question, so stay tuned.