Vitamin D may protect your heart better than statins....
Today's post: Monday, 11-17-2008
Earlier today, Reuters online health news posted a story about research done showing a huge risk increase for sudden cardiac death and heart failure among people who were low in blood levels of vitamin D when compared to people who had closer to optimal blood levels of vitamin D, titled “Low vitamin D linked to sudden cardiac death”.
The low vitamin D group had “….a three-fold increased risk of death from heart failure and about a five-fold increased risk of sudden cardiac death.”
That’s significant for four reasons.
1. We now know that most people can be at or near optimum blood levels by taking 2,000 iu a day of vitamin D3. And doing this costs less than $10 a month.
2. Heart failure now accounts for 37 percent of Medicare spending in the United States! So, if spending a few dollars a month for vitamin D can come close to removing two thirds of that amount as this study suggests might be possible, this action would save millions of dollars a year. Heart failure also prevents some older people from working, so the potential net savings are extremely large. And, the human disability and suffering it might prevent each year would also be quite valuable.
3. You may be able to put your affairs in order after a nonfatal heart attack. But if you die of sudden cardiac death, you should hope you already have put your affairs in order.
4. This research suggests it may be likely that having people take 2,000 iu a day of vitamin D3 would prevent much more serious heart disease than statins AND at dramatically lower cost and with no serious or quality of life side effects compared with statin drugs which do have such side effects in some people.
Today's post: Monday, 11-17-2008
Earlier today, Reuters online health news posted a story about research done showing a huge risk increase for sudden cardiac death and heart failure among people who were low in blood levels of vitamin D when compared to people who had closer to optimal blood levels of vitamin D, titled “Low vitamin D linked to sudden cardiac death”.
The low vitamin D group had “….a three-fold increased risk of death from heart failure and about a five-fold increased risk of sudden cardiac death.”
That’s significant for four reasons.
1. We now know that most people can be at or near optimum blood levels by taking 2,000 iu a day of vitamin D3. And doing this costs less than $10 a month.
2. Heart failure now accounts for 37 percent of Medicare spending in the United States! So, if spending a few dollars a month for vitamin D can come close to removing two thirds of that amount as this study suggests might be possible, this action would save millions of dollars a year. Heart failure also prevents some older people from working, so the potential net savings are extremely large. And, the human disability and suffering it might prevent each year would also be quite valuable.
3. You may be able to put your affairs in order after a nonfatal heart attack. But if you die of sudden cardiac death, you should hope you already have put your affairs in order.
4. This research suggests it may be likely that having people take 2,000 iu a day of vitamin D3 would prevent much more serious heart disease than statins AND at dramatically lower cost and with no serious or quality of life side effects compared with statin drugs which do have such side effects in some people.
Labels: cut Medicare costs, health benefits of vitamin D, prevent heart failure, prevent sudden cardiac death, protect your heart, vitamin D, Vitamin D may protect your heart
posted by David at 1:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home