Re: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

[Guest guest]

If you have confirmed low blood levels it is ok to take that much for a

couple of weeks. I would not be comfortable taking that much for longer than

that. My wife gets her levels to 50ng/ml (considered optimal) by taking

4,000iu daily. She is petite, I'm a big guy and it takes 6,000iu+...but a

lot depends on age, skin color, where you live, genetics, etc. Both of my

kids take 2,400iu daily of an oil based vitamin D3 gel cap daily. Our family

has not had a single cold/flu this season, the people all around us are

dropping from virus's like crazy.

Remember, blood testing when taking big doses of vitamin D3 is mandatory!

You can really get too much of vitamin D! Dr. says it best... " Some

authorities call the behavior of vitamin D " bi-phasic " : Deficiency is toxic,

excessive levels are toxic. We're really just trying to achieve a middle

ground in vitamin D levels that are above deficiency but below toxicity. In

reality, deficiency is exceptionally common. In fact, it's the rule around

here (northern U.S.), with >95% of everybody we check severely deficient in

winter, mildly-moderately deficient in summer. Very few people approach

normal levels year round without supplementation. Toxicity, on the other

hand, is exceedingly rare. I have seen it once in a woman who was taking a

toxic dose of 50,000 units a day on the instructions of her (mis-guided)

doctor. Thankfully, no ill-effects developed from this little " experiment. "

So, it's not toxicity that is the overwhelmingly common worry, but

deficiency, severe and sustained. "

This collection of articles by cardiologist Dr. covers this and much

more, here is one in the series...Neil

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D

End-stage vitamin D deficiency

Let me paint a picture:

A 78-year old woman, tired and bent. She's lost an inch and a half of her

original height because of collapse of several vertebra in her spine over

the years, leaving her with a " dowager's hump, " a stooped position that many

older women assume with advanced osteoporosis. It's also left her with

chronic back pain.

This poor woman also has arthritis in her knees, hips, and spine. All three

locations add to her pain.

She also has hypertension, a high blood sugar approaching diabetes, and

distortions of cholesterol values, including a low HDL and high

triglycerides.

Look inside: On a simple x-ray, we see that the bones of her body are

unusually transparent, with just a thin rim of bone at the outer edges,

depleted of calcium. Weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips, and knees

have eroded and collapsed.

On an echocardiogram of her heart (ultrasound), she has dense calcium

surrounding her mitral valve ( " mitral anular calcium " ), a finding that

rarely impairs the valve itself but is a marker for heightened potential for

heart attack and other adverse events. Her aortic valve, another of the four

heart valves, is also loaded with calcium. In the aortic valve, unlike the

mitral valve, the collection of calcium makes the valve struggle to open,

causing a murmur. The valve is rigid and can barely open to less than half

of its original opening width.

If a heart scan were performed, we'd see the coronary calcification, along

with calcification of the aorta, and the mitral and aortic valves.

Obviously, it's not a pretty picture. It is, however, a typical snapshot of

an average 78-year old woman, or any other elderly man or woman, for that

matter.

This collection of arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve

calcification, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain

is not unusual by any stretch. Perhaps you even recognize someone you know

in this description. Perhaps it's you.

Look at this list again. Does it seem familiar? I'd say that the common

factor that ties these seemingly unrelated conditions together is chronic

and severe deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency leads to arthritis,

osteoporosis, coronary and valve calcification, high blood pressure,

abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain.

Should we go so far as to proclaim that aging, or at least many of the

undesirable phenomena of aging, are really just manifestations of vitamin D

deficiency? I would propose that much of aging is really deficiency of

vitamin D, chronic and severe, in its end stages.

My colleagues might propose a 30- or 40-year long randomized trial, one

designed to test whether vitamin D or placebo makes any difference.

Can you wait? " "

________________________________

From: hypothyroidism [mailto:hypothyroidism ]

On Behalf Of and Irwin

Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 9:16 PM

hypothyroidism

Subject: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

Hi Neil Venizia,

Thanks so much for the information on Vitamin D. Very very informative. I am

taking about 10,000 IU's a day. I need my levels up.

Blessings,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

If you have confirmed low blood levels it is ok to take that much for a

couple of weeks. I would not be comfortable taking that much for longer than

that. My wife gets her levels to 50ng/ml (considered optimal) by taking

4,000iu daily. She is petite, I'm a big guy and it takes 6,000iu+...but a

lot depends on age, skin color, where you live, genetics, etc. Both of my

kids take 2,400iu daily of an oil based vitamin D3 gel cap daily. Our family

has not had a single cold/flu this season, the people all around us are

dropping from virus's like crazy.

Remember, blood testing when taking big doses of vitamin D3 is mandatory!

You can really get too much of vitamin D! Dr. says it best... " Some

authorities call the behavior of vitamin D " bi-phasic " : Deficiency is toxic,

excessive levels are toxic. We're really just trying to achieve a middle

ground in vitamin D levels that are above deficiency but below toxicity. In

reality, deficiency is exceptionally common. In fact, it's the rule around

here (northern U.S.), with >95% of everybody we check severely deficient in

winter, mildly-moderately deficient in summer. Very few people approach

normal levels year round without supplementation. Toxicity, on the other

hand, is exceedingly rare. I have seen it once in a woman who was taking a

toxic dose of 50,000 units a day on the instructions of her (mis-guided)

doctor. Thankfully, no ill-effects developed from this little " experiment. "

So, it's not toxicity that is the overwhelmingly common worry, but

deficiency, severe and sustained. "

This collection of articles by cardiologist Dr. covers this and much

more, here is one in the series...Neil

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D End-stage vitamin

D deficiency

Let me paint a picture:

A 78-year old woman, tired and bent. She's lost an inch and a half of her

original height because of collapse of several vertebra in her spine over

the years, leaving her with a " dowager's hump, " a stooped position that many

older women assume with advanced osteoporosis. It's also left her with

chronic back pain.

This poor woman also has arthritis in her knees, hips, and spine. All three

locations add to her pain.

She also has hypertension, a high blood sugar approaching diabetes, and

distortions of cholesterol values, including a low HDL and high

triglycerides.

Look inside: On a simple x-ray, we see that the bones of her body are

unusually transparent, with just a thin rim of bone at the outer edges,

depleted of calcium. Weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips, and knees

have eroded and collapsed.

On an echocardiogram of her heart (ultrasound), she has dense calcium

surrounding her mitral valve ( " mitral anular calcium " ), a finding that

rarely impairs the valve itself but is a marker for heightened potential for

heart attack and other adverse events. Her aortic valve, another of the four

heart valves, is also loaded with calcium. In the aortic valve, unlike the

mitral valve, the collection of calcium makes the valve struggle to open,

causing a murmur. The valve is rigid and can barely open to less than half

of its original opening width.

If a heart scan were performed, we'd see the coronary calcification, along

with calcification of the aorta, and the mitral and aortic valves.

Obviously, it's not a pretty picture. It is, however, a typical snapshot of

an average 78-year old woman, or any other elderly man or woman, for that

matter.

This collection of arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve

calcification, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain

is not unusual by any stretch. Perhaps you even recognize someone you know

in this description. Perhaps it's you.

Look at this list again. Does it seem familiar? I'd say that the common

factor that ties these seemingly unrelated conditions together is chronic

and severe deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency leads to arthritis,

osteoporosis, coronary and valve calcification, high blood pressure,

abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain.

Should we go so far as to proclaim that aging, or at least many of the

undesirable phenomena of aging, are really just manifestations of vitamin D

deficiency? I would propose that much of aging is really deficiency of

vitamin D, chronic and severe, in its end stages.

My colleagues might propose a 30- or 40-year long randomized trial, one

designed to test whether vitamin D or placebo makes any difference.

Can you wait? " "

________________________________

From: hypothyroidism [mailto:hypothyroidism ]

On Behalf Of and Irwin

Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 9:16 PM

hypothyroidism

Subject: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

Hi Neil Venizia,

Thanks so much for the information on Vitamin D. Very very informative. I am

taking about 10,000 IU's a day. I need my levels up.

Blessings,

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

If you have confirmed low blood levels it is ok to take that much for

a couple of weeks. I would not be comfortable taking that much for

longer than that. My wife gets her levels to 50ng/ml (considered

optimal) by taking 4,000iu daily. She is petite, I'm a big guy and it

takes 6,000iu+...but a lot depends on age, skin color, where you live,

genetics, etc. Both of my kids take 2,400iu daily of an oil based

vitamin D3 gel cap daily. Our family has not had a single cold/flu

this season, the people all around us are dropping from virus's like

crazy.

Remember, blood testing when taking big doses of vitamin D3 is

mandatory! You can really get too much of vitamin D! Dr. says it

best... " Some authorities call the behavior of vitamin D " bi-phasic " :

Deficiency is toxic, excessive levels are toxic. We're really just

trying to achieve a middle ground in vitamin D levels that are above

deficiency but below toxicity. In reality, deficiency is exceptionally

common. In fact, it's the rule around here (northern U.S.), with >95%

of everybody we check severely deficient in winter, mildly-moderately

deficient in summer. Very few people approach normal levels year round

without supplementation. Toxicity, on the other hand, is exceedingly

rare. I have seen it once in a woman who was taking a toxic dose of

50,000 units a day on the instructions of her (mis-guided) doctor.

Thankfully, no ill-effects developed from this little " experiment. "

So, it's not toxicity that is the overwhelmingly common worry, but

deficiency, severe and sustained. "

This collection of articles by cardiologist Dr. covers this and

much more, here is one in the series...Neil

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D

End-stage vitamin D deficiency

Let me paint a picture:

A 78-year old woman, tired and bent. She's lost an inch and a half of

her original height because of collapse of several vertebra in her

spine over the years, leaving her with a " dowager's hump, " a stooped

position that many older women assume with advanced osteoporosis. It's

also left her with chronic back pain.

This poor woman also has arthritis in her knees, hips, and spine. All

three locations add to her pain.

She also has hypertension, a high blood sugar approaching diabetes,

and distortions of cholesterol values, including a low HDL and high

triglycerides.

Look inside: On a simple x-ray, we see that the bones of her body are

unusually transparent, with just a thin rim of bone at the outer

edges, depleted of calcium. Weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips,

and knees have eroded and collapsed.

On an echocardiogram of her heart (ultrasound), she has dense calcium

surrounding her mitral valve ( " mitral anular calcium " ), a finding that

rarely impairs the valve itself but is a marker for heightened

potential for heart attack and other adverse events. Her aortic valve,

another of the four heart valves, is also loaded with calcium. In the

aortic valve, unlike the mitral valve, the collection of calcium makes

the valve struggle to open, causing a murmur. The valve is rigid and

can barely open to less than half of its original opening width.

If a heart scan were performed, we'd see the coronary calcification,

along with calcification of the aorta, and the mitral and aortic valves.

Obviously, it's not a pretty picture. It is, however, a typical

snapshot of an average 78-year old woman, or any other elderly man or

woman, for that matter.

This collection of arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve

calcification, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and

pain is not unusual by any stretch. Perhaps you even recognize someone

you know in this description. Perhaps it's you.

Look at this list again. Does it seem familiar? I'd say that the

common factor that ties these seemingly unrelated conditions together

is chronic and severe deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency

leads to arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve calcification,

high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain.

Should we go so far as to proclaim that aging, or at least many of the

undesirable phenomena of aging, are really just manifestations of

vitamin D deficiency? I would propose that much of aging is really

deficiency of vitamin D, chronic and severe, in its end stages.

My colleagues might propose a 30- or 40-year long randomized trial,

one designed to test whether vitamin D or placebo makes any difference.

Can you wait? " "

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/dont-overdo-vitamin-d.html

" Saturday, December 16, 2006

Don't overdo the vitamin D

As time passes and I advise more and more people to supplement vitamin

D, I gain increasing respect for this powerful " vitamin " . I am

convinced that vitamin D replacement is the reason for a recent surge

in our success rates in dropping CT heart scan scores. I believe it is

also explains the larger drops we've been witnessing lately--20-30%.

But vitamin D can be overdone, too. Too much of a good thing . . .

Despite being labeled a " vitamin " , cholecalciferol is actually a

hormone. Vitamins are obtained from food and you can thereby develop

deficiencies because of poor intake. Deficiency of vitamin C, for

instance, arises from a lack of vegetables and fruits.

Vitamin D, on the other hand, is nearly absent from food. The only

naturally-occuring source is oily fish like salmon and sardines. Milk

usually has a little (100 units per 8 oz) because milk producers have

been required by law to put it there to reduce the incidence of

childhood rickets.

A woman came to me with a heart scan score of nearly 3800, the highest

score I've every seen in a woman. (Record for a male >8,000!) She was

taking vitamin D by prescription from her family doctor but at a dose

of 150,000 units per week, or approximately 21,000 units per day. This

had gone on for about 3-4 years. This may explain her excessive

coronary calcium score. Interestingly, she had virtually no

lipoprotein abnormalities identified, which by itself is curious,

since most people have some degree of abnormality like small LDL.

Obviously, I asked her to stop the vitamin D.

Should you be afraid of vitamin D? Of course not. If your neighbor is

an alcoholic and has advanced cirrhosis, does that mean you shouldn't

have a glass or two of Merlot for health and enjoyment? It's a matter

of quantity. Too little vitamin D and you encourage coronary plaque

growth. Too much vitamin D and you trigger " pathologic calcification " ,

or the deposition of calcium in inappropriate places and sometimes to

extreme degrees, as in this unfortunate woman.

Ideally, you should have your doctor check your 25-OH-vitamin D3 blood

levels twice a year in summar and in winter. We aim for a level of 50

ng/ml, the level at which the phenemena of deficiency dissipate.

Posted by Dr. at 7:06 PM " "

>

> Hi Neil Venizia,

> Thanks so much for the information on Vitamin D. Very very

informative. I am taking about 10,000 IU's a day. I need my levels up.

>

> Blessings,

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Neil,

Thanks for this information. Initially, back in August, my vitamin D level

was 14. So, the doc prescribed me some, and I didn't like the contents of the

pill, so I went to the health food store. Started taking about 10,000 a day.

Went back, and got the blood drawn again, and now I am at 41. I still need to

come up. Plus, what is wierd...I live in Sunny California. So, I know there is

somthing going on.

So, you think I should aim at 50?

Thanks so much!!

neil <neilneil@...> wrote:

Hi ,

If you have confirmed low blood levels it is ok to take that much for

a couple of weeks. I would not be comfortable taking that much for

longer than that. My wife gets her levels to 50ng/ml (considered

optimal) by taking 4,000iu daily. She is petite, I'm a big guy and it

takes 6,000iu+...but a lot depends on age, skin color, where you live,

genetics, etc. Both of my kids take 2,400iu daily of an oil based

vitamin D3 gel cap daily. Our family has not had a single cold/flu

this season, the people all around us are dropping from virus's like

crazy.

Remember, blood testing when taking big doses of vitamin D3 is

mandatory! You can really get too much of vitamin D! Dr. says it

best... " Some authorities call the behavior of vitamin D " bi-phasic " :

Deficiency is toxic, excessive levels are toxic. We're really just

trying to achieve a middle ground in vitamin D levels that are above

deficiency but below toxicity. In reality, deficiency is exceptionally

common. In fact, it's the rule around here (northern U.S.), with >95%

of everybody we check severely deficient in winter, mildly-moderately

deficient in summer. Very few people approach normal levels year round

without supplementation. Toxicity, on the other hand, is exceedingly

rare. I have seen it once in a woman who was taking a toxic dose of

50,000 units a day on the instructions of her (mis-guided) doctor.

Thankfully, no ill-effects developed from this little " experiment. "

So, it's not toxicity that is the overwhelmingly common worry, but

deficiency, severe and sustained. "

This collection of articles by cardiologist Dr. covers this and

much more, here is one in the series...Neil

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D

End-stage vitamin D deficiency

Let me paint a picture:

A 78-year old woman, tired and bent. She's lost an inch and a half of

her original height because of collapse of several vertebra in her

spine over the years, leaving her with a " dowager's hump, " a stooped

position that many older women assume with advanced osteoporosis. It's

also left her with chronic back pain.

This poor woman also has arthritis in her knees, hips, and spine. All

three locations add to her pain.

She also has hypertension, a high blood sugar approaching diabetes,

and distortions of cholesterol values, including a low HDL and high

triglycerides.

Look inside: On a simple x-ray, we see that the bones of her body are

unusually transparent, with just a thin rim of bone at the outer

edges, depleted of calcium. Weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips,

and knees have eroded and collapsed.

On an echocardiogram of her heart (ultrasound), she has dense calcium

surrounding her mitral valve ( " mitral anular calcium " ), a finding that

rarely impairs the valve itself but is a marker for heightened

potential for heart attack and other adverse events. Her aortic valve,

another of the four heart valves, is also loaded with calcium. In the

aortic valve, unlike the mitral valve, the collection of calcium makes

the valve struggle to open, causing a murmur. The valve is rigid and

can barely open to less than half of its original opening width.

If a heart scan were performed, we'd see the coronary calcification,

along with calcification of the aorta, and the mitral and aortic valves.

Obviously, it's not a pretty picture. It is, however, a typical

snapshot of an average 78-year old woman, or any other elderly man or

woman, for that matter.

This collection of arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve

calcification, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and

pain is not unusual by any stretch. Perhaps you even recognize someone

you know in this description. Perhaps it's you.

Look at this list again. Does it seem familiar? I'd say that the

common factor that ties these seemingly unrelated conditions together

is chronic and severe deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency

leads to arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve calcification,

high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain.

Should we go so far as to proclaim that aging, or at least many of the

undesirable phenomena of aging, are really just manifestations of

vitamin D deficiency? I would propose that much of aging is really

deficiency of vitamin D, chronic and severe, in its end stages.

My colleagues might propose a 30- or 40-year long randomized trial,

one designed to test whether vitamin D or placebo makes any difference.

Can you wait? " "

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/dont-overdo-vitamin-d.html

" Saturday, December 16, 2006

Don't overdo the vitamin D

As time passes and I advise more and more people to supplement vitamin

D, I gain increasing respect for this powerful " vitamin " . I am

convinced that vitamin D replacement is the reason for a recent surge

in our success rates in dropping CT heart scan scores. I believe it is

also explains the larger drops we've been witnessing lately--20-30%.

But vitamin D can be overdone, too. Too much of a good thing . . .

Despite being labeled a " vitamin " , cholecalciferol is actually a

hormone. Vitamins are obtained from food and you can thereby develop

deficiencies because of poor intake. Deficiency of vitamin C, for

instance, arises from a lack of vegetables and fruits.

Vitamin D, on the other hand, is nearly absent from food. The only

naturally-occuring source is oily fish like salmon and sardines. Milk

usually has a little (100 units per 8 oz) because milk producers have

been required by law to put it there to reduce the incidence of

childhood rickets.

A woman came to me with a heart scan score of nearly 3800, the highest

score I've every seen in a woman. (Record for a male >8,000!) She was

taking vitamin D by prescription from her family doctor but at a dose

of 150,000 units per week, or approximately 21,000 units per day. This

had gone on for about 3-4 years. This may explain her excessive

coronary calcium score. Interestingly, she had virtually no

lipoprotein abnormalities identified, which by itself is curious,

since most people have some degree of abnormality like small LDL.

Obviously, I asked her to stop the vitamin D.

Should you be afraid of vitamin D? Of course not. If your neighbor is

an alcoholic and has advanced cirrhosis, does that mean you shouldn't

have a glass or two of Merlot for health and enjoyment? It's a matter

of quantity. Too little vitamin D and you encourage coronary plaque

growth. Too much vitamin D and you trigger " pathologic calcification " ,

or the deposition of calcium in inappropriate places and sometimes to

extreme degrees, as in this unfortunate woman.

Ideally, you should have your doctor check your 25-OH-vitamin D3 blood

levels twice a year in summar and in winter. We aim for a level of 50

ng/ml, the level at which the phenemena of deficiency dissipate.

Posted by Dr. at 7:06 PM " "

>

> Hi Neil Venizia,

> Thanks so much for the information on Vitamin D. Very very

informative. I am taking about 10,000 IU's a day. I need my levels up.

>

> Blessings,

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Venizia,

Good article...thanks, Neil

Study ties heart ills, vitamin D deficiency

Northerners may face greater risk in lack of sun

By JOHN FAUBER

jfauber@...

Posted: Jan. 7, 2008

Low levels of vitamin D, a chronic problem for many people in northern

latitudes areas such as Wisconsin, were associated with substantially higher

rates of heart disease and stroke, according to the latest study in a

growing amount of research suggesting that vitamin D deficiencies might be

at the root of a variety of serious health problems.

92588 <http://graphics.jsonline.com/art/spec.gif> Vitamin D

<http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/graphic.asp?graphic=http://graphics.json

line.com/graphics/news/img/jan08/vitamind_010808_big.gif> Click to enlarge

Graphic/MCT

Click

<http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/jan08/vitamind_010808_big.gi

f> to enlarge

<https://jsonline.adsonar.com/admin/advertisers/regWizard1.jsp?plid=165051>

Indeed, a second study published online Monday in another journal concluded

that people who got increased levels of sun exposure had a better chance of

surviving various cancers than those who got limited sun exposure.

In one of the strongest studies to date linking the vitamin to

cardiovascular disease, researchers followed 1,739 members of the Framingham

Offspring Study for more than five years.

They found the rate of cardiovascular disease events such as heart attacks,

strokes and heart failure were from 53% to 80% higher in people with low

levels of vitamin D in their blood.

" This is a stunning study, " said Whitcomb, medical director of the

Aurora Sinai Wellness Institute in Milwaukee. He was not involved in the

study.

Whitcomb said the study bolsters the idea that people living in Wisconsin

and other northern latitude areas should be supplementing their diet with

vitamin D pills from October through March.

Whitcomb noted that other than eating lots of fatty fish, it is nearly

impossible to maintain optimal vitamin D levels through diet alone. Sun

exposure and taking vitamin D supplements are the only proven methods, he

said.

" We were designed to live in sunshine, " Whitcomb said. " Every year we go

through this five-month stress test. "

Because the study followed patients after their vitamin D levels were

measured, it is more rigorous in design than other research that merely

found a retrospective link between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular

disease, said Teves, an assistant professor of medicine at the

Medical College of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa who was also not involved in the

study.

" It makes perfect sense, " she said.

In patients she evaluates for possible osteoporosis at Froedtert Hospital

and the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, up to 90% have

insufficient levels of vitamin D, Teves said.

Smooth muscle cells

Teves noted there are several reasons why vitamin D might help prevent

cardiovascular disease.

She said cells that line the arteries of the heart have vitamin D receptors.

Low levels of vitamin D can lead to a proliferation of smooth muscle cells

in those blood vessels, which, in turn, can lead to blockages and stiffness

in arteries.

In addition, more vitamin D can lead to less inflammation in arteries. It

also has been linked to reduced blood pressure.

Teves said that while the current recommendation for adults is to get about

400 international units of vitamin D a day, an optimal level might be from

800 to 2,000 international units.

However, other vitamins have shown initial promise in preventing

cardiovascular disease only to fizzle out when randomized clinical trials

were done, said Wolff, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the

University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison.

Wolff, who was not involved with the study, said that people who take

vitamins tend to lead healthier lives than those who don't and it is hard

determine whether it is the vitamin or the lifestyle that is the root of the

health benefit.

Still, Wolff said, there is a great deal of biochemical evidence that

explains why vitamin D might be beneficial.

" We can't assume there is a therapeutic benefit from taking the vitamin, "

Wolff said. " It's just intriguing. "

However, researchers say there may be one significant difference between

vitamin D and vitamins such as C and E and folic acid, which have failed to

show a benefit in reducing cardiovascular disease risk in randomized trials.

For much of history, humans lived near the equator and were exposed to

higher amounts of ultraviolet light, resulting in higher levels of vitamin D

in their bodies, said Wang, lead author of the cardiovascular risk

and vitamin D study, which was published online Monday in the journal

Circulation.

" The levels we see today in developed countries are relatively unusual,

especially from an evolutionary standpoint, " said Wang, an assistant

professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

One-third to one-half of otherwise healthy, middle-aged to older adults have

low levels of vitamin D in the United States, the study says.

The study found a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk in

people who had more than 15 nanograms per milliliter of 25-dihydroxyvitamin

D - the form of vitamin D stored in blood - compared with those who had less

than that.

Wang said the benefit might have been even greater if the study had compared

15 nanograms per milliliter or less with at least 30 nanograms per

milliliter, which many researchers believe is the optimal level of vitamin

D.

Wang said his study doesn't prove that taking vitamin supplements reduces

heart attacks and strokes. That can only be done with a large clinical trial

in which vitamin D is compared with a placebo.

However, until such studies are done, there is little risk for adults who

take up to 2,000 international units a day, he said.

Cancer rates

Over the last several years, numerous studies have found links between low

levels of vitamin D, not just with bone health, but in various cancers, the

flu, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

The amount of vitamin D produced in the body as the result of sunlight is

3.4 times to 4.8 times greater below the equator than in the United Kingdom

and Scandinavia, according to a separate analysis published online Monday in

the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers found that survival from various internal cancers improved

with greater amounts of sun exposure.

" It's at least a 30 percent reduction " in mortality, said senior author

Setlow, a biophysicist with the Brookhaven National Laboratory in

Upton, N.Y. " It depends on the cancer. "

Most of the work on the study was done in Norway.

<https://jsonline.adsonar.com/admin/advertisers/regWizard1.jsp?plid=165051>

_____

From: hypothyroidism [mailto:hypothyroidism ]

On Behalf Of venizia1948

Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 6:06 AM

hypothyroidism

Subject: Re: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

,

I have to agree with Neil's post. I am taking 50,000 twice a week. To

me that is excessive. I do not see the doctor anymore that put on it.

I will be going to my regular doctor to get a recheck.

When I was first diagnosed with Vit. D deficiency I was at 18. They

want to see it at least 30. My first doctor called it liquid sunshine

when I guestioned that amount to him. My gastroenterologist said it

was ok, also. I am not convinced so when my husband see our regular

doctor for his recheck I will also go in. I was considering that that

might have been the reason for the hair loss I was experiencing.

There was an article in our local paper yesterday about Vit. D and the

testing that has been done. The headline reads: Study ties heart

ills, vitamin D deficiency. If you want to read this article you can

go to JSOnline.com. Again, it was in yesterday's paper, January 8th.

Hope this helps!

Venizia

>

> Hi Neil Venizia,

> Thanks so much for the information on Vitamin D. Very very

informative. I am taking about 10,000 IU's a day. I need my levels up.

>

> Blessings,

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Text got garbled, try again...

-------------------

Study ties heart ills, vitamin D deficiency

Northerners may face greater risk in lack of sun

By JOHN FAUBER

jfauber@...

Posted: Jan. 7, 2008

Low levels of vitamin D, a chronic problem for many people in northern

latitudes areas such as Wisconsin, were associated with substantially higher

rates of heart disease and stroke, according to the latest study in a

growing amount of research suggesting that vitamin D deficiencies might be

at the root of a variety of serious health problems. Indeed, a second study

published online Monday in another journal concluded that people who got

increased levels of sun exposure had a better chance of surviving various

cancers than those who got limited sun exposure.

In one of the strongest studies to date linking the vitamin to

cardiovascular disease, researchers followed 1,739 members of the Framingham

Offspring Study for more than five years. They found the rate of

cardiovascular disease events such as heart attacks, strokes and heart

failure were from 53% to 80% higher in people with low levels of vitamin D

in their blood. " This is a stunning study, " said Whitcomb, medical

director of the Aurora Sinai Wellness Institute in Milwaukee. He was not

involved in the study. Whitcomb said the study bolsters the idea that people

living in Wisconsin and other northern latitude areas should be

supplementing their diet with vitamin D pills from October through March.

Whitcomb noted that other than eating lots of fatty fish, it is nearly

impossible to maintain optimal vitamin D levels through diet alone. Sun

exposure and taking vitamin D supplements are the only proven methods, he

said. " We were designed to live in sunshine, " Whitcomb said. " Every year we

go through this five-month stress test. "

Because the study followed patients after their vitamin D levels were

measured, it is more rigorous in design than other research that merely

found a retrospective link between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular

disease, said Teves, an assistant professor of medicine at the

Medical College of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa who was also not involved in the

study. " It makes perfect sense, " she said.

In patients she evaluates for possible osteoporosis at Froedtert Hospital

and the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, up to 90% have

insufficient levels of vitamin D, Teves said.

Smooth muscle cells

Teves noted there are several reasons why vitamin D might help prevent

cardiovascular disease. She said cells that line the arteries of the heart

have vitamin D receptors. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to a

proliferation of smooth muscle cells in those blood vessels, which, in turn,

can lead to blockages and stiffness in arteries. In addition, more vitamin D

can lead to less inflammation in arteries. It also has been linked to

reduced blood pressure. Teves said that while the current recommendation for

adults is to get about 400 international units of vitamin D a day, an

optimal level might be from 800 to 2,000 international units. However, other

vitamins have shown initial promise in preventing cardiovascular disease

only to fizzle out when randomized clinical trials were done, said

Wolff, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Wisconsin

Hospital and Clinics in Madison. Wolff, who was not involved with the study,

said that people who take vitamins tend to lead healthier lives than those

who don't and it is hard determine whether it is the vitamin or the

lifestyle that is the root of the health benefit. Still, Wolff said, there

is a great deal of biochemical evidence that explains why vitamin D might be

beneficial. " We can't assume there is a therapeutic benefit from taking the

vitamin, " Wolff said. " It's just intriguing. "

However, researchers say there may be one significant difference between

vitamin D and vitamins such as C and E and folic acid, which have failed to

show a benefit in reducing cardiovascular disease risk in randomized trials.

For much of history, humans lived near the equator and were exposed to

higher amounts of ultraviolet light, resulting in higher levels of vitamin D

in their bodies, said Wang, lead author of the cardiovascular risk

and vitamin D study, which was published online Monday in the journal

Circulation. " The levels we see today in developed countries are relatively

unusual, especially from an evolutionary standpoint, " said Wang, an

assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. One-third to

one-half of otherwise healthy, middle-aged to older adults have low levels

of vitamin D in the United States, the study says. The study found a

significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk in people who had more

than 15 nanograms per milliliter of 25-dihydroxyvitamin D - the form of

vitamin D stored in blood - compared with those who had less than that. Wang

said the benefit might have been even greater if the study had compared 15

nanograms per milliliter or less with at least 30 nanograms per milliliter,

which many researchers believe is the optimal level of vitamin D. Wang said

his study doesn't prove that taking vitamin supplements reduces heart

attacks and strokes. That can only be done with a large clinical trial in

which vitamin D is compared with a placebo. However, until such studies are

done, there is little risk for adults who take up to 2,000 international

units a day, he said.

Cancer rates

Over the last several years, numerous studies have found links between low

levels of vitamin D, not just with bone health, but in various cancers, the

flu, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders. The

amount of vitamin D produced in the body as the result of sunlight is 3.4

times to 4.8 times greater below the equator than in the United Kingdom and

Scandinavia, according to a separate analysis published online Monday in the

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers found that

survival from various internal cancers improved with greater amounts of sun

exposure. " It's at least a 30 percent reduction " in mortality, said senior

author Setlow, a biophysicist with the Brookhaven National

Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. " It depends on the cancer. "

Most of the work on the study was done in Norway.

[Guest guest]

>

> Venizia,

>

> Good article...thanks, Neil

Neil,

You are very welcome.

Venizia

>

[Guest guest]

They used to call Vitamin D deficiency Rickets. I guess they changed the

name.??? Dauphine999

neil <neilneil@...> wrote: Hi ,

If you have confirmed low blood levels it is ok to take that much for a

couple of weeks. I would not be comfortable taking that much for longer than

that. My wife gets her levels to 50ng/ml (considered optimal) by taking

4,000iu daily. She is petite, I'm a big guy and it takes 6,000iu+...but a

lot depends on age, skin color, where you live, genetics, etc. Both of my

kids take 2,400iu daily of an oil based vitamin D3 gel cap daily. Our family

has not had a single cold/flu this season, the people all around us are

dropping from virus's like crazy.

Remember, blood testing when taking big doses of vitamin D3 is mandatory!

You can really get too much of vitamin D! Dr. says it best... " Some

authorities call the behavior of vitamin D " bi-phasic " : Deficiency is toxic,

excessive levels are toxic. We're really just trying to achieve a middle

ground in vitamin D levels that are above deficiency but below toxicity. In

reality, deficiency is exceptionally common. In fact, it's the rule around

here (northern U.S.), with >95% of everybody we check severely deficient in

winter, mildly-moderately deficient in summer. Very few people approach

normal levels year round without supplementation. Toxicity, on the other

hand, is exceedingly rare. I have seen it once in a woman who was taking a

toxic dose of 50,000 units a day on the instructions of her (mis-guided)

doctor. Thankfully, no ill-effects developed from this little " experiment. "

So, it's not toxicity that is the overwhelmingly common worry, but

deficiency, severe and sustained. "

This collection of articles by cardiologist Dr. covers this and much

more, here is one in the series...Neil

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D End-stage vitamin

D deficiency

Let me paint a picture:

A 78-year old woman, tired and bent. She's lost an inch and a half of her

original height because of collapse of several vertebra in her spine over

the years, leaving her with a " dowager's hump, " a stooped position that many

older women assume with advanced osteoporosis. It's also left her with

chronic back pain.

This poor woman also has arthritis in her knees, hips, and spine. All three

locations add to her pain.

She also has hypertension, a high blood sugar approaching diabetes, and

distortions of cholesterol values, including a low HDL and high

triglycerides.

Look inside: On a simple x-ray, we see that the bones of her body are

unusually transparent, with just a thin rim of bone at the outer edges,

depleted of calcium. Weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips, and knees

have eroded and collapsed.

On an echocardiogram of her heart (ultrasound), she has dense calcium

surrounding her mitral valve ( " mitral anular calcium " ), a finding that

rarely impairs the valve itself but is a marker for heightened potential for

heart attack and other adverse events. Her aortic valve, another of the four

heart valves, is also loaded with calcium. In the aortic valve, unlike the

mitral valve, the collection of calcium makes the valve struggle to open,

causing a murmur. The valve is rigid and can barely open to less than half

of its original opening width.

If a heart scan were performed, we'd see the coronary calcification, along

with calcification of the aorta, and the mitral and aortic valves.

Obviously, it's not a pretty picture. It is, however, a typical snapshot of

an average 78-year old woman, or any other elderly man or woman, for that

matter.

This collection of arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve

calcification, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain

is not unusual by any stretch. Perhaps you even recognize someone you know

in this description. Perhaps it's you.

Look at this list again. Does it seem familiar? I'd say that the common

factor that ties these seemingly unrelated conditions together is chronic

and severe deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency leads to arthritis,

osteoporosis, coronary and valve calcification, high blood pressure,

abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain.

Should we go so far as to proclaim that aging, or at least many of the

undesirable phenomena of aging, are really just manifestations of vitamin D

deficiency? I would propose that much of aging is really deficiency of

vitamin D, chronic and severe, in its end stages.

My colleagues might propose a 30- or 40-year long randomized trial, one

designed to test whether vitamin D or placebo makes any difference.

Can you wait? " "

________________________________

From: hypothyroidism [mailto:hypothyroidism ]

On Behalf Of and Irwin

Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 9:16 PM

hypothyroidism

Subject: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

Hi Neil Venizia,

Thanks so much for the information on Vitamin D. Very very informative. I am

taking about 10,000 IU's a day. I need my levels up.

Blessings,

[Guest guest]

Traditionally it was thought that was what vitamin D was for...preventing

rickets. But rickets is just a gross form of vitamin D deficiency.

But very recently (like the last few years) it is found that vitamin D is

responsible for regulating the calcium in the body...keeping calcium in your

bones and teeth, not in your arteries and aorta.

It has also been discovered that vitamin D protects against autoimmune

disorders...like MS, Grave's, etc.

Neil

_____

From: hypothyroidism [mailto:hypothyroidism ]

On Behalf Of PATRICK REYNAUD

Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 6:36 AM

hypothyroidism

Subject: RE: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

They used to call Vitamin D deficiency Rickets. I guess they changed the

name.??? Dauphine999

neil <neilneil@roadrunner <mailto:neilneil%40roadrunner.com> .com> wrote: Hi

,

If you have confirmed low blood levels it is ok to take that much for a

couple of weeks. I would not be comfortable taking that much for longer than

that. My wife gets her levels to 50ng/ml (considered optimal) by taking

4,000iu daily. She is petite, I'm a big guy and it takes 6,000iu+...but a

lot depends on age, skin color, where you live, genetics, etc. Both of my

kids take 2,400iu daily of an oil based vitamin D3 gel cap daily. Our family

has not had a single cold/flu this season, the people all around us are

dropping from virus's like crazy.

Remember, blood testing when taking big doses of vitamin D3 is mandatory!

You can really get too much of vitamin D! Dr. says it best... " Some

authorities call the behavior of vitamin D " bi-phasic " : Deficiency is toxic,

excessive levels are toxic. We're really just trying to achieve a middle

ground in vitamin D levels that are above deficiency but below toxicity. In

reality, deficiency is exceptionally common. In fact, it's the rule around

here (northern U.S.), with >95% of everybody we check severely deficient in

winter, mildly-moderately deficient in summer. Very few people approach

normal levels year round without supplementation. Toxicity, on the other

hand, is exceedingly rare. I have seen it once in a woman who was taking a

toxic dose of 50,000 units a day on the instructions of her (mis-guided)

doctor. Thankfully, no ill-effects developed from this little " experiment. "

So, it's not toxicity that is the overwhelmingly common worry, but

deficiency, severe and sustained. "

This collection of articles by cardiologist Dr. covers this and much

more, here is one in the series...Neil

http://heartscanblo

<http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D>

g.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D End-stage vitamin

D deficiency

Let me paint a picture:

A 78-year old woman, tired and bent. She's lost an inch and a half of her

original height because of collapse of several vertebra in her spine over

the years, leaving her with a " dowager's hump, " a stooped position that many

older women assume with advanced osteoporosis. It's also left her with

chronic back pain.

This poor woman also has arthritis in her knees, hips, and spine. All three

locations add to her pain.

She also has hypertension, a high blood sugar approaching diabetes, and

distortions of cholesterol values, including a low HDL and high

triglycerides.

Look inside: On a simple x-ray, we see that the bones of her body are

unusually transparent, with just a thin rim of bone at the outer edges,

depleted of calcium. Weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips, and knees

have eroded and collapsed.

On an echocardiogram of her heart (ultrasound), she has dense calcium

surrounding her mitral valve ( " mitral anular calcium " ), a finding that

rarely impairs the valve itself but is a marker for heightened potential for

heart attack and other adverse events. Her aortic valve, another of the four

heart valves, is also loaded with calcium. In the aortic valve, unlike the

mitral valve, the collection of calcium makes the valve struggle to open,

causing a murmur. The valve is rigid and can barely open to less than half

of its original opening width.

If a heart scan were performed, we'd see the coronary calcification, along

with calcification of the aorta, and the mitral and aortic valves.

Obviously, it's not a pretty picture. It is, however, a typical snapshot of

an average 78-year old woman, or any other elderly man or woman, for that

matter.

This collection of arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve

calcification, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain

is not unusual by any stretch. Perhaps you even recognize someone you know

in this description. Perhaps it's you.

Look at this list again. Does it seem familiar? I'd say that the common

factor that ties these seemingly unrelated conditions together is chronic

and severe deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency leads to arthritis,

osteoporosis, coronary and valve calcification, high blood pressure,

abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain.

Should we go so far as to proclaim that aging, or at least many of the

undesirable phenomena of aging, are really just manifestations of vitamin D

deficiency? I would propose that much of aging is really deficiency of

vitamin D, chronic and severe, in its end stages.

My colleagues might propose a 30- or 40-year long randomized trial, one

designed to test whether vitamin D or placebo makes any difference.

Can you wait? " "

________________________________

From: hypothyroidism@ <mailto:hypothyroidism%40>

[mailto:hypothyroidism@

<mailto:hypothyroidism%40> ]

On Behalf Of and Irwin

Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 9:16 PM

hypothyroidism@ <mailto:hypothyroidism%40>

Subject: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

Hi Neil Venizia,

Thanks so much for the information on Vitamin D. Very very informative. I am

taking about 10,000 IU's a day. I need my levels up.

Blessings,

[Guest guest]

Traditionally it was thought that was what vitamin D was for...preventing

rickets. But rickets is just a gross form of vitamin D deficiency that you

can see.

But very recently (like the last few years) it is found that vitamin D is

responsible for regulating the calcium in the body...keeping calcium in your

bones and teeth, not in your arteries and aorta.

It has also been discovered that vitamin D protects against autoimmune

disorders...like MS, Grave's, etc, as well as increasing your immune system,

preventing against cancers, etc.

Neil

_____

From: hypothyroidism [mailto:hypothyroidism ]

On Behalf Of PATRICK REYNAUD

Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 6:36 AM

hypothyroidism

Subject: RE: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

They used to call Vitamin D deficiency Rickets. I guess they changed the

name.??? Dauphine999

neil <neilneil@roadrunner <mailto:neilneil%40roadrunner.com> .com> wrote: Hi

,

If you have confirmed low blood levels it is ok to take that much for a

couple of weeks. I would not be comfortable taking that much for longer than

that. My wife gets her levels to 50ng/ml (considered optimal) by taking

4,000iu daily. She is petite, I'm a big guy and it takes 6,000iu+...but a

lot depends on age, skin color, where you live, genetics, etc. Both of my

kids take 2,400iu daily of an oil based vitamin D3 gel cap daily. Our family

has not had a single cold/flu this season, the people all around us are

dropping from virus's like crazy.

Remember, blood testing when taking big doses of vitamin D3 is mandatory!

You can really get too much of vitamin D! Dr. says it best... " Some

authorities call the behavior of vitamin D " bi-phasic " : Deficiency is toxic,

excessive levels are toxic. We're really just trying to achieve a middle

ground in vitamin D levels that are above deficiency but below toxicity. In

reality, deficiency is exceptionally common. In fact, it's the rule around

here (northern U.S.), with >95% of everybody we check severely deficient in

winter, mildly-moderately deficient in summer. Very few people approach

normal levels year round without supplementation. Toxicity, on the other

hand, is exceedingly rare. I have seen it once in a woman who was taking a

toxic dose of 50,000 units a day on the instructions of her (mis-guided)

doctor. Thankfully, no ill-effects developed from this little " experiment. "

So, it's not toxicity that is the overwhelmingly common worry, but

deficiency, severe and sustained. "

This collection of articles by cardiologist Dr. covers this and much

more, here is one in the series...Neil

http://heartscanblo

<http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D>

g.blogspot.com/search/label/vitamin%20D End-stage vitamin

D deficiency

Let me paint a picture:

A 78-year old woman, tired and bent. She's lost an inch and a half of her

original height because of collapse of several vertebra in her spine over

the years, leaving her with a " dowager's hump, " a stooped position that many

older women assume with advanced osteoporosis. It's also left her with

chronic back pain.

This poor woman also has arthritis in her knees, hips, and spine. All three

locations add to her pain.

She also has hypertension, a high blood sugar approaching diabetes, and

distortions of cholesterol values, including a low HDL and high

triglycerides.

Look inside: On a simple x-ray, we see that the bones of her body are

unusually transparent, with just a thin rim of bone at the outer edges,

depleted of calcium. Weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips, and knees

have eroded and collapsed.

On an echocardiogram of her heart (ultrasound), she has dense calcium

surrounding her mitral valve ( " mitral anular calcium " ), a finding that

rarely impairs the valve itself but is a marker for heightened potential for

heart attack and other adverse events. Her aortic valve, another of the four

heart valves, is also loaded with calcium. In the aortic valve, unlike the

mitral valve, the collection of calcium makes the valve struggle to open,

causing a murmur. The valve is rigid and can barely open to less than half

of its original opening width.

If a heart scan were performed, we'd see the coronary calcification, along

with calcification of the aorta, and the mitral and aortic valves.

Obviously, it's not a pretty picture. It is, however, a typical snapshot of

an average 78-year old woman, or any other elderly man or woman, for that

matter.

This collection of arthritis, osteoporosis, coronary and valve

calcification, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain

is not unusual by any stretch. Perhaps you even recognize someone you know

in this description. Perhaps it's you.

Look at this list again. Does it seem familiar? I'd say that the common

factor that ties these seemingly unrelated conditions together is chronic

and severe deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency leads to arthritis,

osteoporosis, coronary and valve calcification, high blood pressure,

abnormal cholesterol patterns, and pain.

Should we go so far as to proclaim that aging, or at least many of the

undesirable phenomena of aging, are really just manifestations of vitamin D

deficiency? I would propose that much of aging is really deficiency of

vitamin D, chronic and severe, in its end stages.

My colleagues might propose a 30- or 40-year long randomized trial, one

designed to test whether vitamin D or placebo makes any difference.

Can you wait? " "

________________________________

From: hypothyroidism@ <mailto:hypothyroidism%40>

[mailto:hypothyroidism@

<mailto:hypothyroidism%40> ]

On Behalf Of and Irwin

Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 9:16 PM

hypothyroidism@ <mailto:hypothyroidism%40>

Subject: Vitamin D: Neil and Venizia

Hi Neil Venizia,

Thanks so much for the information on Vitamin D. Very very informative. I am

taking about 10,000 IU's a day. I need my levels up.

Blessings,