Low vitamin D and death risk

Low levels of vitamin D in the blood are associated with an increased risk of death from causes like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cancers and others. The universally recommended intake of vitamin D is 200 IU per day for those aged below 50 years. Good sources of vitamin D include fortified foods and beverages like milk, soy drinks, fish, cord liver oil and egg yolk. Those undergoing dialysis are generally supplemented with vitamin D to reduce their risk of mortality. However, little is known about the association of vitamin D levels with mortality in otherwise healthy individuals. To assess whether or not low levels of vitamin D in the body lead to diseases that can prove fatal, researchers from America studied 13,331 adults, aged 20 years or older. The researchers measured the vitamin D levels of the participants for 6 years and followed them for the next 6 years. During the follow-up, 1,806 subjects died, including 777 from cardiovascular disease. It was found that those with the lowest vitamin D levels (less than 18 nanograms per millilitre) had a 26 percent increased rate of death from any cause compared to the participants with the highest vitamin D levels (more than 32 nanograms per millilitre). The above findings suggest a definite association between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of death.

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