Supplementing with vitamin D may lower the risk of serious cardiovascular events like heart attacks in persons over 60, according to a new research. Conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels are collectively referred to as cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is one of the leading causes of mortality on a global scale. Chronic illnesses proliferate as populations age, and CVD events like heart attacks and strokes are expected to rise.
The risk of major cardiovascular events was 9% lower in the vitamin D group compared to the placebo group, or 5.8 fewer incidents per 1,000 participants, according to a research by The BMJ including 21,315 individuals.
There was no change in the rates of stroke between the two groups, but the risk of heart attack was 19% lower and the rate of coronary revascularization was 11% lower in the vitamin D group.
Researchers from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Queensland, Australia, among others, said that their results point to a possible link between vitamin D intake and a lower risk of serious cardiovascular events.
Those who were taking statins or other cardiovascular medications at the beginning of the experiment seemed to have a bigger benefit, but the researchers noted these findings were not statistically significant. In all, the researchers estimated that 172 individuals would need to take vitamin D supplements on a monthly basis to avoid one serious cardiovascular incident.
The beneficial impact could be more pronounced in those who were using statins or other cardiovascular medications at baseline, according to professor Rachel E. Neale from QIMR and other researchers. To aid with this issue’s clarification, the team recommends more testing.
They draw the conclusion that their results “suggest that vitamin D supplementation does not modify the risk of cardiovascular disease are premature.”
A total of 21,315 Australians between the ages of 60 and 84 participated in the experiment, which lasted from 2014 to 2020. people were randomly assigned to receive one capsule containing either 60,000 IU of vitamin D (10,662 people) or a placebo (10,653 individuals) orally at the beginning of each month for up to 5 years. A significant cardiovascular event occurred in 1,336 study participants (6.6% in the vitamin D group and 6.6% in the placebo group).
The results may not apply to other communities, especially those where a greater percentage of individuals are vitamin D deficient, according to the researchers, who agree that there may have been a little underestimation of incidents. However, it should be noted that this was a large study with extraordinarily good retention and adherence rates, as well as almost comprehensive data on cardiovascular events and death outcomes.