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Vitamin D may improve heart failure treatment outcomes

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Individuals who suffer from heart failure may benefit from seeking blood testing to measure their vitamin D levels. New research suggests that this nutrient may play an important role in the development of the condition.

A team of investigators presented evidence at the recent Heart Failure Conference suggesting that vitamin D suppresses levels of an enzyme called renin, which controls levels of cardiac output, according to MedPage Today.

The researchers said this could lead to significant benefits for heart failure patients and may represent a simple way for individuals with the condition to improve their cardiovascular health.

This is not the first study to propose a link between high vitamin D levels and improved heart failure treatment outcomes. A 2008 investigation published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology showed that experienced improved cardiovascular function and were less likely to develop heart failure when they received vitamin D supplements. 

Heart failure is a chronic condition that requires extensive treatment, but supplementing vitamin D levels may represent an extremely simple way to treat the disease. Individuals should consider blood testing to see if they could benefit from boosting their levels.