Vitamin D linked to heart health

[Celebration]

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/health&id=7124154

Researchers at Intermountain Medical Center in Utah found that low levels of vitamin D significantly increase the risk for stroke, heart disease and death.

The study followed 27,686 people age 50 and older with no history of cardiovascular disease. The participants were divided into three groups based on their vitamin D levels of normal, low or very low.

After just a year, those with very low levels were 77 percent more likely to die, 45 percent more likely to develop coronary artery disease and 78 percent more likely to have a stroke compared to those with normal vitamin D levels.

"We concluded that among patients 50 years of age or older, even a moderate deficiency of vitamin D levels was associated with developing coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke and death," said study co-author Heidi May.

[havocmom]

1. People need to become aware that the MDR is NOT a good level

It is just the level at which most people won't get rickets. You need much more D than the MDR if you want to stay healthy.

Amazing stuff they are finding out about D. LOL Big Pharma will be trying to patent the sun in no time!

[Celebration]

2. LOL, an unrecommend (at least one)

Too scientific, I guess. :)

[Chemisse]

3. It may be because some posters have been hyping it

The vitamin D info that has come out recently is very exciting, but I have noticed here that a few people reave aboutas though it was the cure for all that ails us. Whenever I hear that level of enthusiasm, I get suspicious.

I was not the unrec, however, in fact I will rec this.

[LeftishBrit]

15. I think the same...

People imply at times that vitamin D is ALL one needs and can replace other treatments and/or that sun exposure has no dangers.

However, the evidence for vitamin D having a stronger role than was once thought is extremely interesting. It's been known for a long time to be important for bone health, and I take it for that reason, having risk factors for osteoporosis. But its other benefits are now becoming clearer.

[tiptoe]

6. Maybe $ interests threatened by evidence of VitD protection against many diseases?

Re heart attacks and vitamin D, here are specific serum 25(OH)D levels associated with risk reduction of the incidence of heart attacks (in men), many cancers and other diseases...as well as optimal serum 25(OH)D levels currently being recommended by six medical researchers.

Re H1N1, Dr. Susan E. Brown writes and recommends on Nov 12 (links and emphases added):

...
Even more interesting than scientific study — real-life swine flu prevention with vitamin D

While the scientific studies connecting low vitamin D and influenza are interesting, what I find even more valuable and intriguing are the informal reports from clinical settings, where the use of vitamin D amongst patients was tightly linked to a reduction in their vulnerability to the most recent swine flu variant (H1N1). Two very interesting reports from clinical settings were submitted to Dr. Cannell and published in his Vitamin D Council Newsletter in September 2009. These reports help me see the real day-to-day value of vitamin D supplementation even more clearly than the scientific studies do.
...
So what’s a person to do?

So far the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has not responded to requests from Dr. Cannell and colleagues that the US take a serious look at the link between low vitamin D and flu susceptibility. The Public Health Agency of Canada, on the other hand, is investigating the role vitamin D might play in protection against swine flu. But this research by the Canadian government, while moving in the right direction, will likely take years.

The flu season, on the other hand, is upon us and, given the safety of vitamin D and its likely benefits, it seems reasonable to hedge your bets and take in sufficient vitamin D to reach the suggested protective vitamin D blood level of 50 to 80 ng/mL 25(OH)D. This represents a vitamin D blood concentration consistent with that obtained from abundant natural summertime sunlight exposure. The amount of vitamin D needed to reach this ideal blood level varies from individual to individual, depending on sunlight exposure, vitamin D reserves, skin color, body fat, age, and the like.
...

Some have engaged in reckless fear-mongering re toxicity of vitamin D instead of referencing the latest scientific research into the safety underlying doctors' recommended general dosages.

"No one is proposing that vitamin D is a panacea, however it seems to provide part of the sturdy framework for our physical and mental well being."

 

[SoFlaJet]

4. after all the info on V-D coming out

I went out and bough a bottle-little gel caps and take 2 a day which = 2000, plus we DO happen to live in The Sunshine State

[jfkraus]

5. I live in Seattle...

...and since I've been taking D supplements, I don't get sick as often as my work colleagues and when I do it's less severe. We don't get much sun up here and when we do we use a lot of sunscreen. Sunscreen prevents the formation of vitamin D.

[MorningGlow]

7. Same here

My mom, my son, and I are both on large doses of D to counteract very low levels--might be an absorption problem. MG Jr. used to get sick NONSTOP, but this season he's only had one minor illness and another that was a little worse. The worse one could very well have been swine flu, but I don't know for sure, as his doctor didn't test him for it, yet even so, it was hardly serious. Big difference overall.

[Celebration]

8. Ditto for my toddler grandson

Since beginning Vitamin D3 supplements, I don't think he has been to the doctor once. He used to have to go all the time. He isn't even on that much--400 units a day plus an extra 3000 units a week. It has made a huge difference in the number of colds he catches.

[MorningGlow]

9. My son is doing well thanks to you, I should add! :)

Your help with all this stuff made a big difference, C! :hug:

We both just had our blood drawn yesterday to check our D levels; his checkup is on 12/8. I'll be interested to see how much the 2000 IUs has brought his D up. (Now, should I tell his annoying pediatrician that I disregarded her ultra conservative suggestion of 300 IUs a day--of D2, no less--and followed my holistic MD's advice that he needs 2000 IUs daily? :evilgrin: )

[Celebration]

10. recommended blood levels are even all over the map

So get THIS--

Researchers followed 27,686 people, aged 50 and older, with no history of cardiovascular disease. The participants were divided into three groups based on their vitamin D levels: normal (more than 30 nanograms per milliliter), low (15 to 30 nanograms per milliliter), or very low (less than 15 nanograms per milliliter).

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/11/16/low-vitamin-d-levels-linked-to-heart-disease.html

Most Vitamin D researchers now feel that the minimum healthy Vitamin D level is 50 nanograms per milliliter.

So, most of the people in this "normal" group they would consider low.

Maybe they need to go back through the data and get a "high" level--over 50 and compare it to the 30-50 level, and see if there is a difference.

[MorningGlow]

12. Still sorting things out, are they?

When my level skootched up to the low 30s, my OB/GYN was pleased, but my holistic MD said "Feh!" and said we should try to get it up into the 70s or 80s.

I hate the very concept of "normal" ranges for blood tests. "Normal" should be when you feel good, not some number. Before I got treatment for my thyroid, being smack dab in the middle of the (extremely broad) "normal" TSH range nearly killed me. My thyroid is happy being well below the bottom of the range. Lowest recommended is 1.0 (sometimes 0.5); I'm best at 0.1. When my OB/GYN saw that, she had a coronary--she was convinced that I had to be a hyper, quivering wreck subsisting on two hours of sleep, losing weight like a sumbitch, and chain-smoking my way through the day and half the night. I told her I couldn't shed a pound to save my life, barely had enough energy to get through the day, and slept like a rock, thank you very much. (Luckily, my holistic MD understands.)
:rofl:

[Celebration]

16. Thyroid hormone is pretty complex

And TSH is actually a pituitary hormone I think. I am not sure why they got the bright idea to use that instead of actual thyroid hormones. Then there are all the "frees" (unbound) T4 and T3, and then there are people with conversion problems, and then there are people with thyroid hormone resistance. There is a lot of circular reasoning going in conventional medicine with regard to thyroid treatment.

There may be some of the same type issues with D3--some people even call it a hormone instead of a vitamin.

But--the big difference is that people who are deficient in D can have wide ranging non-specific symptoms. It would not be easy to gauge how much someone needs sans blood tests. With thyroid, some doctors go by body temperature............. Although, it may be true that some people do better with different blood levels of D. But we are a long way from actually figuring it out.

[dipsydoodle]

11. If your level is really low for whatever reason

you can stuff as much as like down your throat in the way of supplements etc and it won't make much difference cos your body probably isn't storing it. To retain it for at least while you'd need a vit D injection straight into a muscle - that's slow release. My daughter who's 40 needs such an injection every 3 months or so. No big deal when you've got our NHS. :)

[MorningGlow]

13. Ditto for B-12

My mom has to have a B-12 injection regularly to keep her levels up.

So jealous of your NHS! (And the fact that you've got the new season of Top Gear and we don't! x( )

[dipsydoodle]

14. Off topic - Blimey

I was up where you are from Thursday to Sunday last week ! There are about 80 or so banjo collectors who meet annually and this year it was partly hosted by John Bernunzio - your local friendly music shop. :)

:hi:

[MorningGlow]

17. Small world!

:hi:

I didn't even know there was a Banjopalooza around here! (But then again, I'm more of a Guitar Center chick myself.) Where did you stay?

[dipsydoodle]

18. We all stayed at The Strathallan Hotel.

They'd booked that cos there was plenty of space to lay out banjos which would be used in presentations and which were for sale/swop and also because we were hosted by both Bernunzio and Bill Desler too - search Bill's Banjos sometime. This the first time I've been over for it. It's normally held in Williamsburg but even next year it's planned to be Gettysburg - think so anyway. I've a hundred or so plus about 20 acoustic gits, mandolins and dulcimers etc. I've yet to learn to play any of them though....lol. I'm sort of retired now so may look at doing so soon now that I've more time on my hands. In the meanwhile I'm just happy as usual listening to American Old Time Music and going out for live stuff occasionally.

I'm down in OH now just chillin out 'till Monday when I fly back on Monday night from DC.

:hi:

BTW - I checked our UK BBC News homepage from here and f me you cannot get the true page from here even using .co.uk
Looks kinda edited and trust me - no such thing as adverts on anything BBC associated in the UK especially not priced in US$'s ............lol.

[MorningGlow]

19. Oh cool!

Hope you had a good time and everybody treated you right. (Rochesterians are mostly nice, but some have a tendency to be cold fish.)

BBC News--tell me about it! They used to have an option to toggle between "UK version" and "world version" (guess which one I always chose) but no longer. POUT.

[dipsydoodle]

20. I don't know the root cause of the difference -

only that its blatantly obvious to me. I also noticed that the video clips are also preceeded by American adverts. :shrug:

I'll be back home on Tuesday and I'll try sending a direct link. When I do that it will be interesting to see if it still subverts. Nobody has mentioned this issue before which only became apparent to me while I was your here over your side.