Taking vitamin D supplements ‘could slash your chance of a heart attack by a fifth’

Taking vitamin D in your 60s may reduce your risk of a heart attack by a fifth, new research suggests.

In the largest study of its kind, people taking supplements had 19 percent fewer heart attacks than those taking a placebo.

They also reduced their chance of having heart bypass surgery by a tenth (11 percent), with the effect being even greater in those already taking statins, researchers said.

While vitamin D is known to protect bones and muscles, research on its effects on heart and circulatory health is less conclusive.

In this study, 21,315 Australians aged between 60 and 84 were given vitamin D tablets or a placebo every month for up to 5 years.

Researchers then examined hospital data on major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes and coronary revascularization — treatment to restore normal blood flow to the heart.

During the trial, 1,336 participants experienced a major cardiovascular event — 6.6 percent in the placebo and 6 percent in the vitamin D group — 9 percent lower.

The number of heart attacks was 19 percent lower and the number of coronary revascularizations was 11 percent lower in the vitamin D group.

But there was no difference in the rate of stroke between the two groups, according to findings published in the BMJ.

Vitamin D is a type of vitamin that the human body both obtains from food and produces when exposed to sunlight.

It helps regulate the body’s levels of calcium and phosphate, nutrients needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

It is thought that between spring and summer, most people can get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight on their skin and a balanced diet.

But the NHS recommends supplements containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during autumn and winter.

In general, the researchers from the University of Melbourne, among others, calculated that 172 people would have to take vitamin D supplements monthly to prevent one major cardiovascular event.

However, this figure could improve if applied to other populations, such as people with a vitamin D deficiency, they suggest.

As such, they say their findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation may have a protective effect and reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events.

The authors conclude: ‘These findings indicate that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the incidence of major cardiovascular events, particularly myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization. This protective effect could be stronger in those taking statins or other cardiovascular drugs

“Meanwhile, these findings suggest that conclusions that vitamin D supplementation does not alter cardiovascular disease risk are premature.”