Vitamin D3 Update Information

Vitamin D3 in the news again. Here is the latest information I have on it. At the annual conference of the American Heart Association held near the end of 2011, a study was presented that measured 25-hydroxy- vitamin D blood levels in a large group of Americans. On the one hand this study corroborates previously published findings showing that people with HIGHER vitamin D blood levels have lower risk of degenerative disease. For example, compared to people in the deficient range, those with higher blood levels of 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D had significantly lower risk of:

• Heart failure
• Depression
• Coronary artery disease
• Kidney failure

Those with vitamin D levels in the 81-100 ng/mL had a 36% reduction in hypertension against those who were deficient.

On the other side of the equation there was a warning issued indicating when blood 25-hydroxy-vitamin D exceeded 100 ng/mL, they showed a HIGHER risk of artrial fibrillation.

This information is published in this month's Life Extension Magazine to which I am a subscriber, even though the American Heart Association conference has not yet published this information.The article indicates that based on a large volume of published data the optimal range of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D to protect against disease is somewhere in the 50-80 ng/mL Yet, testing indicates that approximately 85% of their dedicated members were below 50ng/mL.

In the study done by the American Heart Association 25 Hydroxy-vitamin D levels were tested in 132,000 patients. Of this LARGE group only 291 or 0.22% had hydroxy-vitamin D levels OVER 100 ng/mL Those who EXCEEDED 100 ng/mL had an artrial fibrillation incidence of 2.5 times greater than people in the safe range below 100 ng/mL.

What to do...............what to do?

To me it still looks like most people are deficient in Vitamin D. Simple solution is when you have your blood lipid profile done (which I normally have done about 3X or more per year is to HAVE YOUR VITAMIN D BLOOD LEVELS TESTED against the less than 20 ng/mL, 21-40 ng/mL, 41-80 ng/mL, 81-100 ng/mL or over 100 ng/mL and adjust your dose of vitamin D3 accordingly.

The study goes on to indicate there is a possibility that the Artrial Fibrillation may not have been caused by excessive vitamin D3 intake at all and MIGHT  actually be caused by sluggish thyroid function or hypothyroidism. It so happens that hypothyroidism is a contributing factor in artrial fibrillation.

What does all of this really mean to the average person? To me it PROVES ON THING FOR SURE and that is the we are fearfully wonderfully made as it indicates in scripture.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) Psalm 139:14
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

I Corinthians 12:14-18

¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many.

¹⁵ If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

¹⁶ And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

¹⁸ But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

In other words, our bodies are very COMPLEX. All of our parts work together perfectly. TOO MUCH vitamin D3 can be harmful, however NOT enough is also harmful. It would seem that MOST people are not getting enough vitamin D3 as in the study of 132,000 people, only 291 were tested (or 0.22% had levels that tested over 100 ng/mL). Add to that information that some of those 291 people may possibly have had hypothyroidism and is seems that the large percentage of folks are not getting enough vitamin D3 for good health.

The simple and safe answer is to have the test for blood levels of vitamin D added to your blood lipid profile tests and quit guessing. In the interim if you are taking between 1000 IU and 5000 IU daily, you are probably in the safe zone.

I for one will ask my diabetes doctor on my May checkup to add this test for Vitamin D blood levels be added to my profile. As I am always preaching, you have to educate yourself and do some research on your own.

You still work with your doctor and you listen to him or her, however at the same time you become informed and able to discuss your findings and concerns with them.

God bless you,

Dan

Other possible causes of artrial fibrillation:

• Hypertension / high blood pressure
• Coronary artery disease
• Mitrial stenosis
• Mitrial regurgitation
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Pericarditis
• Previous heart surgery
• Excessive alcohol consupmption
• Hyperthyroidism