'Let The Sunshine In' To Protect Your Heart This Winter

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'Let The Sunshine In' To Protect Your Heart This Winter

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117110840.htm

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2008) - The temperature might not be the only thing

plummeting this winter. Many people also will experience a decrease in their

vitamin D levels, which can play a role in heart disease, according to a new

review article in Circulation.

Vitamin D deficiency results in part from reduced exposure to sunlight,

which is common during cold weather months when days are shorter and more

time is spent indoors.

" Chronic vitamin D deficiency may be a culprit in heart disease, high blood

pressure and metabolic syndrome, " said Sue Penckofer, PhD, RN, study author

and professor, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University

Chicago.

The review article cited a number of studies that linked vitamin D

deficiency to heart disease. These studies found rates of severe disease or

death may be 30 to 50 percent higher among sun-deprived individuals with

heart disease.

Penckofer and colleagues concluded that diet alone is not sufficient to

manage vitamin D levels. Treatment options to correct this level, such as

vitamin D2 or D3, may decrease the risk of severe disease or death from

cardiovascular disorders. The preferred range in the body is 30 - 60 ng/mL

of 25(OH) vitamin D.

" Most physicians do not routinely test for vitamin D deficiency, " said

Penckofer. " 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. "

Study authors also included Glen W. Sizemore, MD, emeritus professor of

Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Loyola University

Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, and Diane E. Wallis, MD, Midwest Heart

Specialists, Downers Grove, Ill.