Key result
Vitamin D supplementation fails to improve blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, or lipid parameters.
Why the study?
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, but meta-analyses of supplementation trials have not shown clear cardiovascular benefits, leaving the role of vitamin D in cardiovascular protection uncertain.
Does vitamin D supplementation improve cardiovascular outcomes or risk factors in humans?
Does vitamin D supplementation improve cardiovascular outcomes or risk factors in humans?
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“While much work is needed to understand why vitamin D deficiency is associated with [cardiovascular disease], our study adds to the growing body of evidence that daily or monthly supplementation with vitamin D does not prevent [cardiovascular disease] events or reduce markers of subclinical cardiac injury or strain.”
“not a single one showed clear benefits of vitamin D supplements in preventing heart disease or stroke.”
“Our study is also observational and therefore not definitive, as a trial of vitamin-D supplementation would be, but I believe it suggests that caution should be exercised before we make vitamin D the next supplement that will cure all our ailments. We've seen other supplements receive initial positive press only to fail to demonstrate benefit in actual clinical trials.”
Current evidence from meta-analyses does not support a clear cardiovascular benefit for vitamin D supplementation, indicating that the observational association between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease may be an epiphenomenon.
Vitamin D deficiency is typically caused by inadequate cutaneous synthesis secondary to decreased exposure to sunlight. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D l <20 ng/ml are diagnostic of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D has various cardiovascular pleiotropic effects by activating its nuclear receptor in cardiomyocytes and vascular endothelial cells and by regulating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, adiposity, energy expenditure, and pancreatic cell activity. In humans, vitamin D deficiency is associated with the following: vascular dysfunction; arterial stiffening; left ventricular hypertrophy; and worsened metrics of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. It is also linked with worse cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, meta-analyses of vitamin D supplementation trials have failed to show clear improvements in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, or lipid parameters, thus suggesting that the link between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease may be an epiphenomenon. Ongoing larger randomized trials will clarify whether monitoring and supplementation of vitamin D play roles in cardiovascular protection.
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Mheid et al. (2017) conducted a review in Vitamin D deficiency and Cardiovascular Disease. Vitamin D supplementation was evaluated. Vitamin D supplementation trials have failed to show clear improvements in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, or lipid parameters despite observational links between deficiency and cardiovascular disease.
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