- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- Keep Asthma, Allergies at Bay for the Holidays
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Higher Vitamin D Intake Could Cut Cancer Risk
- Maggots as Good as Gel in Leg Ulcer Treatments
- Cranberries May Help Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
- ANIMAL CARE
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- BONES & JOINTS
- Bone Loss Stable on Restricted Calorie Diet
- Scientists ID New Genes Tied to Crohn's Disease
- Fruits and Veggies May Strengthen Bones
- CANCER
- Selenium, Omega-3s May Stave Off Colorectal Cancer
- Well Water Might Raise Bladder Cancer Risk
- Breast Self-Exam Rates Go Up With Counseling
- CAREGIVING
- Undoing the 'Big Baby' Trend
- Child's Food Allergies Take Toll on Family Plans
- MRSA Infections Spreading to Kids in Community
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- Grapefruit-Heavy Diet Helped Spur Dangerous Clot
- An Apple a Day May Help Keep Heart Disease Away
- COSMETIC
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gum Disease May Reactivate AIDS Virus
- Gummy Bears Join Cavity Fight
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- DIABETES
- Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics
- Coffee, Tea Might Stave Off Diabetes
- Lifestyle Factors Tied to Older Adults' Diabetes Risk
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Adults Need To Get Thier Food Facts Straight
- For Fitness, Cutting Calories May Not Be Enough
- Mediterranean Diet Helps Protect Aging Brain
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
- Researchers ID Genetic Markers for Esophageal Cancer
- EYE CARE, VISION
- When Corks Fly, Watch the Eyes
- FDA Goes After Unapproved Eye Washes, Skin Ointments
- Guard Kids' Eyes Against Long-Term Sun Damage
- FITNESS
- Tai Chi and Qigong Offer Many Health Benefits: Review
- Living With Less TV, More Sweat Boosts Weight Loss
- Bursts of Vigorous Activity Appear to Be a 'Stress-Buffer'
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- New Guidelines Issued for Management of IBS
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Autumn Chores Often Hazardous
- Brisk Walk Can Help Leave Common Cold Behind
- For Women, Moderate Midlife Drinking Linked to Healthier Old Age
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Airport Full Body Scanners Pose No Health Threat: Experts
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Boosting Vitamin D Can Do a Heart Good
- Fatty Fish May Cut Heart Failure Risk in Men
- Years of Heavy Smoking Raises Heart Risks
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- Dry Weather Boosts Odds of Flu Outbreaks
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- KID'S HEALTH
- Meaningful Conversations Boost Kids' Language Skills
- Traffic Seems to Make Kids' Asthma Worse
- Mom and Baby Alike May Benefit From Exercise
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Noise Hurts Men's Hearing More, Study Shows
- Strenuous Daily Workout May Keep Cancer at Bay
- Countdown to Hair Loss
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Chocolate a Sweet Pick-Me-Up for the Depressed
- Keeping Mentally Active Seems To Keep The Brain Active
- Using the Mind to Heal the Heart
- PAIN
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.
- PREGNANCY
- Calcium Supplements Cut Blood Lead Levels During Pregnancy
- Exercise As Well As Acupuncture, May Ease Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- SENIORS
- Money May Matter, Health-Wise, in Old Age
- Want Better Health in the New Year, Add Exercise to Your Day
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
Boosting Vitamin D Can Do a Heart Good
By eholistic.com Published: 03/16/2010
New research suggests that extra vitamin D could make a major difference in heart disease risk among people who have low levels of the nutrient.
Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah, report in two new studies that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk of other chronic diseases, too.
"Vitamin D replacement therapy has long been associated with reducing the risk of fractures and diseases of the bone," study author Dr. J. Brent Muhlestein, director of cardiovascular research, said in a center news release. "But our findings show that vitamin D could have far greater implications in the treatment and reduction of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions than we previously thought."
The researchers found that patients who boosted their vitamin D levels to 43 nanograms per milliliter of blood or higher reduced their rates of diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure and heart disease. They were also less likely to die during the study period.
According to the researchers, a level of 30 nanograms per milliliter of vitamin D is considered normal.
"Although randomized trials would be useful and are coming, I feel there is enough information here for me to start treatment based on these findings," Muhlestein said, adding that increasing vitamin D intake by 1,000 to 5,000 international units a day may be a good idea in some cases.
The findings are scheduled to be presented Monday at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting in Atlanta.
SOURCE: Intermountain Medical Center, press release, March 15, 2010.
Last Updated: March 15, 2010
