Heart Help with Vitamin D
 

Heart Help with Vitamin D

D-Fuse CVD


by Becky Holman

It’s no secret that cardiovascular disease is a big—if not the biggest—health problem. Upping your vitamin D intake can help. According to a presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Conference, low counts of vitamin D can:

• double the risk of heart failure.
• increase the risk of stroke by 78 percent.
• increase the risk of coronary artery disease by 45 percent.

Those conclusions were reached after researchers studied more than 27,000 people aged 50 or older. Oh, one more stat: Being low in vitamin D can increase your risk of death by 77 percent. Get out in the sun or take vitamin D supplements—about 5,000 international units per day.