Cardiology Patient Page: Vitamin D and Your Heart.

Abstract

Heart disease remains the leading cause of mortality for men and women in the United States and worldwide. Originally known for its crucial role in the maintenance of bone health, vitamin D has emerged as a potential therapeutic target in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. A growing body of evidence suggests an association between vitamin D deficiency and increased cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality; however, optimal levels of vitamin D for heart health remain undefined. Vitamin D is a hormone precursor that can be obtained from natural or fortified foods, dietary supplements, or exposure of the skin to the ultraviolet rays of sunlight. It is uniquely different from all other vitamins because of our body’s own ability to produce it in adequate quantities from exposure to ultraviolet B light, which initiates the skin synthesis of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D3 then undergoes modification by the liver to 25(OH)D, which is the best indicator of vitamin D exposure and is easily measured in the blood. Vitamin D ultimately undergoes final hydroxylation by our kidneys to its biologically active form, 1,25(OH)2 …