Cardiovascular Disease Facts from Lack of Vitamin D
Cardiovascular Disease Facts from Lack of Vitamin D – Currently, there are more and more types of diseases caused by lack of vitamins that we digest, therefore we must increase the intake of vitamins that are good for the health of the body.
Not only age and family history, cardiovascular disease can also be triggered by lifestyle and other concomitant medical conditions. However, recent research has revealed that there are other factors that can cause cardiovascular disease, namely vitamin D. Check out the full research review!
1. The research involved data from nearly 300,000 participants
Published in the European Heart Journal in December 2021, Australian researchers investigated the connection between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D/25(OH)D and risk of cardiovascular disease. For information, 25[OH]D is a marker of vitamin D in the body.
Entitled “Non-linear Mendelian randomization analyzes support a role for vitamin D deficiency in cardiovascular disease risk”, the researchers took data from 295,788 participants (44,519 cardiovascular patients and 251,269 control cases) in the 2006–2009 period.
Participants filled out questionnaires about medical conditions and lifestyle at the start of the study and provided blood samples for biomarker and genetic testing. Through genetic testing, the researchers obtained information about 25(OH)D.
2. Few supply vitamin D
The investigators then compared the results to a control group (without a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease). In addition to cardiovascular risk, the researchers also examined the relationship between 25(OH)D concentrations and blood pressure.
Of the 267,980 participants, the researchers noted the average concentration of 25(OH)D was 50 nanomol per liter (nmol/L). As a result, the researchers also noted:
A total of 11.4 percent (32,868) participants had concentrations below 25 nmol/L.
A total of 41.3 percent (119,243) of the participants had concentrations between 25 and 49.9 nmol/L.
A total of 35.3 percent (101,848) of the participants had concentrations between 50 and 74.9 nmol/L.
A total of 10.5 percent (30,314) of the participants had concentrations between 75 and 99.9 nmol/L.
A total of 1.4 percent (4,110) of the participants had concentrations between 100 and 124.9 nmol/L.
A total of 0.2 percent (570) of participants had a concentration of more than 125 nmol/L
A total of <0.1 percent (107) participants had a concentration of more than 150 nmol/L.
3. Results: although non-linear, vitamin D deficiency triggers cardiovascular disease
The researchers noted that participants with serum 25(OH)D concentrations in the 25 nmol/L range had an 11 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, compared to 50 nmol/L concentrations. However, the researchers saw a slight reduction in cardiovascular disease risk in individuals with high 25(OH)D concentrations.
The participants who had a concentration of 75 nmol/L recorded a risk of cardiovascular disease only 2 percent lower, compared to the concentration of 50 nmol/L. This phenomenon is called “non-linear association”, a condition when a change in value does not reflect a constant change in another variable.
Vitamin D deficiency also applies to the relationship of 25(OH)D concentration to blood pressure. In participants with 25(OH)D concentrations in the range of 25 nmol/L, there was a significant risk of high blood pressure or hypertension when compared to those with 50 nmol/L.
With these non-linear findings, the researchers note that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of cardiovascular disease events.