FRIDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers combing a large database have found evidence to suggest that vitamin D levels play a highly significant role in cardiovascular health, according to an article published in the Oct. 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.

Jeffrey L. Anderson, M.D., of the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, and colleagues analyzed 41,504 patient records with at least one measured vitamin D level to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and how that relates to cardiovascular risk factors, disease, and mortality.

The researchers found a 63.6 percent prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, which was associated with highly significant increases in diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and peripheral vascular disease. Levels of vitamin D were also found to be strongly associated with coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and mortality.

"In conclusion, we have confirmed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the general health care population and an association between vitamin D levels and prevalent and incident cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes. These observations lend strong support to the hypothesis that vitamin D might play a primary role in cardiovascular risk factors and disease. Given the ease of vitamin D measurement and replacement, prospective studies of vitamin D supplementation to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease are urgently needed," the authors write.

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