According to a new study published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology researchers demonstrated that vitamin D improves heart function in patients with chronic heart failure.

Heart failure affects more than 23 million people worldwide. This statistic emphasizes the significance of this new study because it presents the first evidence that vitamin D supplementation can improve heart function of people with heart failure. The findings could make a meaningful difference in the care of these patients.

Such individuals are often deficient in vitamin D because older people make less vitamin D in response to sunlight than younger people. In addition many people avoid the sun due to the dangers of overexposure and those using sunscreen will reduce their production of vitamin D.

This study included over 160 heart failure patients who were already using proven treatments including beta-blockers ACE-inhibitors and pacemakers. The participants were given a vitamin D supplement or placebo for one year. Those who took vitamin D had an improvement in heart function which was not demonstrated in those who took the placebo.

Researchers measured changes in heart function by performing an echocardiogram and measuring the ejection fraction. The ejection fraction in healthy individuals is typically between 60-70% while it is significantly decreased in heart failure patients. The patients in this study had an average ejection fraction of 26%.

The results demonstrated that those patients who took vitamin D saw an improvement in heart function from 26% to 34%. Those who received the placebo saw no change in cardiac function. This indicates that vitamin D supplementation may decrease the need for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) devices which are expensive and also involve an operation. This is a benefit to the patients overall health and the healthcare system.

I would also consider using a vitamin D supplement containing vitamin K or taking a vitamin K supplement in addition to vitamin D to optimize the level of each vitamin and prevent against arterial calcification. I find that most individuals need anywhere from 4000-10000 IUs/day of vitamin D and about 1-2 mg of vitamin K1 since a majority of people do not eat enough vegetables to obtain adequate vitamin K. This is also the amount that completely carboxylates osteocalcin and the amount most may need to convert to K2.

By Michael Jurgelewicz DC DACBN DCBCN