Low Vitamin D Levels Increase Heart Attack Risk in Men

07/21/08 Prevention

Men who have low levels of vitamin D have a greater risk of heart attack than men whose blood carries enough of the vitamin.

A recent study of men ages 40-75 analyzed blood samples from 900 participants without heart disease and compared those findings with blood samples from 454 men who had fatal coronary heart disease or non-fatal heart attacks. The results found that men with low levels of vitamin D had a 2.42 times greater risk of heart attack. Even those participants with a medium amount of the vitamin in their bloodstream had a 43 to 60 percent greater chance of heart attack compared to men with higher levels of the vitamin.

The study was performed by researchers at The Harvard School of Public Health and published in a recent issue of the American Medical Association journal Archives of Internal Medicine. In their comment, the study authors cite vitamin D’s effect on smooth muscle cell proliferation, inflammation, vascular calcification, (the build-up of calcium in blood vessels that may cause blockage), and blood pressure as possible protective mechanisms against heart attack.

Further studies need to be performed but, if this study holds true, the amount of vitamin D needed to protect against heart attack may be much higher than the current recommendations of 200-600 units a day—especially for men who live in northern climates where exposure to sun, a factor in generating vitamin D internally, is less. 

Mari S. Gold is has written for The New York Times, American Profile, Relish Magazine, TravelSmart, Indianapolis Monthly, and numerous e-zines. An avid cook and foodie, she contributes restaurant reviews to Zagat Guides and The Vermont News Guide, and is working on a young adult novel with a food theme. Married with grown children and two cats, she divides her time between New York City where she is director of communications for a major health care organization, and Dorset, Vermont.