Vitamin D - is deficiency associated with increased risk of Heart Attack and Stroke?

          Vitamin D deficiency is bad for your bones.

          But did you know that it can also increase the risk of heart
          attack and strokes?



Wang and coauthors performed a meta-analysis of available studies to assess this:
(Wang L, Song Y, Manson JE, et al. Circulating 25-hydroxy-vitamin d and risk of cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis of prospective studies. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2012)

• Data pooled from 24 observational studies examining the association between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD)
• Adults at least more than 18 years old
• 65994 participants
• 6123 cardiovascular disease events

RESULTS

• "For each 25-nmol/L decrease in 25(OH)-D levels, the risk for CVD increased by a pooled risk ratio of 1.18 (95% CI, 1.07 - 1.29)" (*unadjusted analysis).
• "The increased risk for CVD was fairly linear as 25(OH)-D levels declined from 60 to 20 nmol/L. In this specific range, the risk for CVD increased by 1.03 (95% CI, 1.00 - 1.06) for each 25-nmol/L decrease in 25(OH)-D levels"

The linear inverse relationship between 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25OH-D) and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) reflects that, the lower your vitamin D level, the higher your risk of CVD.


Therefore low vitamin D level is associated with increased risk of, and increased death from, heart attack and stroke.