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A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) shows vitamin D plays a vital role in reducing the risk of death associated with older age. The research, just published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, evaluated the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and the death rates of those 65 and older. The study found that older adults with insufficient levels of vitamin D die from heart disease at greater rates that those with adequate levels of the vitamin.

Vitamin D Good For The Heart? CBS NEws about Harvard Study

ScienceDaily (Aug. 3, 2009) - Seven out of ten U.S. children have low levels of vitamin D, raising their risk of bone and heart disease, according to a study of over 6,000 children by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The striking findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency could place millions of children at risk for high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease.

Vitamin D related articles in "The Heart Scan Blog" by Dr. William Davis

Paradigms and Paradoxes Last month Dr. Armin Zittermann of Ruhr University, Germany, published the best vitamin D paper of the month. He reviewed the mounting evidence that vitamin D deficiency is a major cause of heart disease. Zittermann A, Schleithoff SS, Koerfer R. Putting cardiovascular disease and vitamin D insufficiency into perspective. Br J Nutr. 2005 Oct;94(4):483-92. Before we start, let's talk about paradigms and paradoxes. A paradigm is a set of assumptions, concepts, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality. The current paradigm is that heart disease is caused by a combination of genetics, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, smoking, obesity, inactivity, and diet. A paradox is a fact that contradicts the paradigm.

Zittermann A, Schleithoff SS, Tenderich G, Berthold HK, Korfer R, Stehle P. Low vitamin D status: a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure? J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003 Jan 1;41(1):105-12. PMID: 12570952 [PubMed - indexed for M

Schleithoff SS, Zittermann A, Tenderich G, Berthold HK, Stehle P, Koerfer R. Vitamin D supplementation improves cytokine profiles in patients with congestive heart failure: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Apr;

Are statins analogues of vitamin D? Grimes DS. Lancet. 2006 Jul 1;368(9529):83-6. Review. PMID: 16815382 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68971-X There are many reasons why the dietary-heart-cholesterol hypothesis should be questioned, and why statins might be acting in some other way to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Here, I propose that rather than being cholesterol-lowering drugs per se, statins act as vitamin D analogues, and explain why. This proposition is based on published observations that the unexpected and unexplained clinical benefits produced by statins have also been shown to be properties of vitamin D. It seems likely that statins activate vitamin D receptors.

In 1945, Dr. Weston Price described "a new vitamin-like activator" that played an influential role in the utilization of minerals, protection from tooth decay, growth and development, reproduction, protection against heart disease and the function of the brain. Using a chemical test, he determined that this compound-which he called Activator X-occurred in the butterfat, organs and fat of animals consuming rapidly growing green grass, and also in certain sea foods such as fish eggs. Vitamin K2 is produced by animal tissues, including the mammary glands, from vitamin K1, which occurs in rapidly growing green plants. A growing body of published research confirms Dr. Price's discoveries, namely that vitamin K2 is important for the utilization of minerals, protects against tooth decay, supports growth and development, is involved in normal reproduction, protects against calcification of the arteries leading to heart disease, and is a major component of the brain

"Had enough about reading/hearing about Vitamin D? Well, it keeps on coming. And for my lack of surprise, the medical community in general is not catching on like wild fire. I really don't understand it. A recent study from the Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City (click) followed 27,686 patients greater than 50 years of age with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. The Vitamin D levels were checked and classified as such: * normal - greater than 30 ng/ml * low - 15 to 30 * very low - less than 15 The results of the study showed that patients with very low Vitamin D levels in comparison to normal had: * 77% greater risk of death * 45% increased risk of coronary artery disease * 78% increased risk of stroke * twice the risk of developing Heart failure"

"If you're running low on vitamin D - as an estimated 70 percent of the U.S. population is - your immune system may not be functioning as well as it should. As a result, you may be more vulnerable to infectious diseases than you would if your vitamin D levels were optimal. Worse, you could be at higher than normal risk of a long list of diseases including heart disease and several kinds of cancer. A report recently published journal, Future Microbiology, highlighted research at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, which has shown that vitamin D induces expression of an antimicrobial peptide gene called cathelicidin that is the "first line of defense" in the immune system's response to minor wounds, cuts and bacterial and viral infections. The regulation of cathelicidin by vitamin D could help explain its vital role in immune function. The report noted that vitamin D is a key cofactor in reducing inflammation, in blood pressure control and helping to protect against heart disease. Author Adrian Gombart explains that there is still much to explore about D's mechanisms of action, the potential use of synthetic analogs of it in new treatments, and its duty in fighting infection."

Effects of Atorvastatin on vitamin D levels in patients with acute ischemic heart disease. Pérez-Castrillón JL, Vega G, Abad L, Sanz A, Chaves J, Hernandez G, Dueñas A. Am J Cardiol. 2007 Apr 1;99(7):903-5. Epub 2007 Feb 8. PMID: 17398180 In conclusion, atorvastatin increases vitamin D levels. This increase could explain some of the beneficial effects of atorvastatin at the cardiovascular level that are unrelated to cholesterol levels. The mechanism by which atorvastatin increases vitamin D levels is related to inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3 methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. Cholesterol is synthesized from 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is also a precursor of vitamin D3. For this reason, we initially observed a statistically significant relation between total cholesterol and vitamin D. HMG-CoA enzyme reductase is key to the synthesis of cholesterol, whereas ultraviolet radiation causes the formation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Inhibition of the enzyme may increase levels of 7-dehydrocholesterol and increase the synthesis of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, thereby increasing vitamin D levels,10 although we observed no relation between lower cholesterol and increased vitamin D. In addition, 25-hydroxyvitamin D has been shown to inhibit HMG-CoA enzyme reductase activity in in vitro studies.11 A greater concentration of vitamin D could increase enzymatic inhibition, acting in synergy with the statin in decreasing total cholesterol.

What is VITAL? The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) is a research study in 20,000 U.S. men and women investigating whether taking daily dietary supplements of vitamin D (about 2000 IU) or fish oil (about 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids) reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and stroke in people who do not have a prior history of these illnesses. Recruitment for the study will begin in January 2010.

Association of vitamin D deficiency with heart failure and sudden cardiac death in a large cross-sectional study of patients referred for coronary angiography.\nPilz S, März W, Wellnitz B, Seelhorst U, Fahrleitner-Pammer A, Dimai HP, Boehm BO, Dobnig H.\nJ Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Oct;93(10):3927-35. Epub 2008 Aug 5.\nPMID: 18682515

Vitamin K2 is produced by animal tissues, including the mammary glands, from vitamin K1, which occurs in rapidly growing green plants. A growing body of published research confirms Dr. Price's discoveries, namely that vitamin K2 is important for the utilization of minerals, protects against tooth decay, supports growth and development, is involved in normal reproduction, protects against calcification of the arteries leading to heart disease, and is a major component of the brain. Vitamin K2 works synergistically with the two other "fat-soluble activators" that Price studied, vitamins A and D. Vitamins A and D signal to the cells to produce certain proteins and vitamin K then activates these proteins. Vitamin K2 plays a crucial role in the development of the facial bones, and its presence in the diets of nonindustrialized peoples explains the wide facial structure and freedom from dental deformities that Weston Price observe

Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.\nHolick MF.\nAm J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):362-71. Review. Erratum in: Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;79(5):890.\nPMID: 14985208

Vitamin D A Key Player In Overall Health Of Several Body Organs, Says Biochemist In a paper published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Norman identifies vitamin D's potential for contributions to good health in the adaptive and innate immune systems, the secretion and regulation of insulin by the pancreas, the heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength and brain activity. In addition, access to adequate amounts of vitamin D is believed to be beneficial towards reducing the risk of cancer. Norman also lists 36 organ tissues in the body whose cells respond biologically to vitamin D. The list includes bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and the uterus.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Younger white women with vitamin D deficiencies are about three times more likely to have high blood pressure in middle age than those with normal vitamin levels, according to a study released on Thursday. The study, presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago, adds younger women to a growing list of people including men who may develop high blood pressure at least in part because of low vitamin D.

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Too little vitamin D could be bad for more than your bones; it may also lead to fatter adolescents, researchers say.\n\nA Medical College of Georgia study of more than 650 teens age 14-19 has found that those who reported higher vitamin D intakes had lower overall body fat and lower amounts of the fat in the abdomen, a type of fat known as visceral fat, which has been associated with health risks such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension

Vitamin D's days of obscurity seem pretty much over. Once just an afterthought to most people-relegated to the sides of milk cartons and the pages of medical texts-it's now on the cusp of becoming a full-fledged disease prevention star. Although vitamin D has long been known as an important factor in bone health, a quickly growing body of evidence now shows that it may also help lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and even premature death.[1], [2] Not surprisingly, scientists and the public have started to take note, particularly of vitamin D's potential to protect against cancer