A recent study published in the online edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine reports that inadequate or insufficient intake of Vitamin D may increase death risk by as much as 26%. A nationwide survey found that approximately 41% of men and 53% of women in the United States were not getting adequate amounts of Vitamin D. Dr. Michal Melamed, a clinical researcher at Johns Hopkins University, says that there are numerous studies which show links between low Vitamin D levels and risk for heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, hypertension, and different types of cancers. Melamed’s team collected data on more than 13,000 men and women who took part in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the study. Levels of Vitamin D were collected in 1988 and 1994, and the participants were followed through 2000. During more than eight and a half years of follow up, 1,806 people died, with 777 dying from cardiovascular disease. Of those cardiovascular disease deaths, approximately 400 of the individuals were found to have Vitamin D deficiencies. Those who had the lowest levels of Vitamin D had a 26% higher risk of death from all causes compared to those with the highest Vitamin D levels.

The results and findings of Melamed’s study confirms a trend seen in other studies where Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to risk for developing breast cancer and depression in the elderly. Additionally, Melamed’s group had previously shown that Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk for peripheral artery disease by nearly 80%. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin which assists in the maintenance of proper calcium and phosphorus levels within the body, and is very important for overall health. Only 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight per day is necessary to allow the body to synthesize the amount of Vitamin D needed. Vitamin D may also be consumed through foods such as fish and milk. Research examining the efficacy of Vitamin D supplementation is inconclusive. Dr. Michael F. Holick, director of the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University Medical Center, supports high levels of Vitamin D supplementation to maintain good health. Holick says that Vitamin D deficiency is probably the most common medical problem worldwide. Holick states that being Vitamin D sufficient reduces the risk of having a first heart attack by nearly 50%, reduces the risk of developing peripheral vascular disease by as much as 80%, and also reduces the risk of developing certain cancers such as prostate, colon, and breast by as much as 50%-70%. On the other hand, Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. By increasing Vitamin D intake to about 800 international units (IU) per day the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes is reduced by as much as a third. Holick recommends high doses of Vitamin D supplementation, as well as appropriate levels of sun exposure.