Low levels of Vitamin D may substantially increase the risk of death due to heart failure according to the results of a study conducted by Israeli researchers and published in the European Journal of Heart Failure in February. The study also found that regular vitamin D supplementation lowered the risk of heart failure by a third.

The researchers, based at the Heart Institute, Hadassah University Hospital, Israel, looked at data from 3,009 heart failure patients and 46 825 controls who were free of heart failure.

In a previous post, we mentioned that B Vitamin deficiencies may increase the risk of heart disease by raising circulating levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that damages arterial walls. A 2009 study published in the journal Circulation has shown just how important one of these B vitamins can be in reducing heart attack risk.

High levels of LDL cholesterol have long been considered to be a major risk factor for heart disease. Many scientists now believe that it is not the LDL cholesterol itself that causes heart disease but the oxidation of the LDL molecule that causes the most damage to arteries. Oxidized LDL molecules are extremely reactive and once deposited in the arteries react strongly with substances in the lining of the arterial wall leading to tissue damage and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

A study published this month in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine has found that high doses of vitamin C can reduce an individuals LDL cholesterol levels and subsequently lower their risk of heart disease.

The research, conducted by Marc McRae of the National University of Health Sciences in Illinois, involved the analysis of results from 13 previous trials on the effect of vitamin C on cholesterol levels. The minimum dosage of vitamin C taken across the studies was 500mg/day for a period of between 3 and 24 weeks.

Hypertension is one of the most significant risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. It is estimated that a blood pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg doubles an individuals risk of heart disease at a given age compared to a person with a normal blood pressure (115/75 mmHg).

More than 35% of adult Americans are known to suffer from hypertension and this figure rises to more than 60% in people older than 55.

Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with more than a two-fold increase in coronary heart disease risk according to a recent study funded by the American Heart Association.

The researchers looked at data from 1,739 offspring of the Framingham Heart Study with an average age of 59 years. The participants had their blood levels of Vitamin D recorded in 1996, as well as their blood pressures, current smoking habits, diabetes status, cholesterol levels, and physical activity levels.

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is becoming an increasingly important risk factor for coronary heart disease and strokes. Homocysteine is believed to degrade and inhibit the formation of the major components of arteries – collagen, elastin & proteoglycans which increases the rate of arterial decline leading to conditions such as atherosclerosis.

Several studies have demonstrated the link between elevated homocysteine levels and an increased risk of hospitalization and death from cardiovascular causes.

Women who use calcium supplements may be at an increased risk of heart problems in later life according to a recent New Zealand study published in the British Medical Journal this month.

Researchers from the Department of Medicine at the University of Auckland followed 1471 healthy post-menopausal women, all over the age of 55, for a period of five years. Half the group took a calcium supplement which contained 1 gram of calcium while the other half received a placebo.