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Winter Darkness Could Mean Heart Woes… Vitamin D |
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Vitamin D
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Darrell Miller | 11/25/08 |
Date:
November 25, 2008 09:35 AM
Author: Darrell Miller
(dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Vitamin D
The lack of sunshine during winter may diminish vitamin D levels in the body and harm cardiovascular health, U.S. researchers say. Scientists at Loyola University in Chicago reviewed studies that linked vitamin D deficiency to heart disease. The studies said rates of severe heart disease or death may be 30 percent to 50 percent higher in sun-deprived heart disease patients. Diet alone is not sufficient to manage vitamin D levels, the researchers concluded. Treatment options, such as vitamin D2 or D3, may decrease the risk of severe heart disease or death. "Most physicians do not routinely test for vitamin D deficiency. However, most experts would agree that adults at risk for heart disease and others who experience fatigue, joint pain, or depression should have their vitamin D levels measured," the report stated. (Circulation, vol. 118, pp. 1476 1485)
