Vitamin D supplementation helps reduce risk of
major heart problems in elders: research

Australian researchers have found that taking monthly doses of vitamin D could help older adults reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events.

A total of 21,315 participants aged 60-84 years in Australia were involved in the randomized research conducted by a group of Australian research institutions and universities from 2014 to 2020.

Among the participants, 10,662 people received one capsule of 60,000 IU vitamin D and 10,653 participants took placebo at the beginning of each month during the five years. More than 80 percent of participants reported taking at least 80 percent of the study tablets.

The research revealed that 1,336 participants experienced a major cardiovascular event, including 699 people from the placebo group and 637 people from the vitamin D group. The rate of major cardiovascular events was around nine percent lower in the vitamin D group compared with the placebo group.

Meanwhile, the rate of heart attack was 19 percent lower and the rate of coronary revascularization was 11 percent lower in the vitamin D group, but there was no difference in the rate of stroke between the two groups.

The findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, said the researchers. This protective effect could be more marked in those taking statins or other cardiovascular drugs at baseline.