Vitamin D deficiency linked to heart trouble

Vitamin D deficiency, once only associated with bone and muscle weakness, may also be bad for your heart, research suggests.

An article published in next week’s issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology warns a lack of the vitamin heightens the risk of hypertension, obesity and diabetes.

James O’Keefe of the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City said the lack is an “unrecognised, emerging cardiovascular risk factor”, adding it should be screened for and treated.

He added: “Vitamin D is easy to assess, and supplementation is simple, safe and inexpensive.”

“Older adults and people who are overweight or obese are less efficient at making vitamin D in response to sunlight.”

Mr O’Keefe went on to say that a bit of sunshine is good, however people should use sunscreen to guard against skin cancer, especially if they plan to be outside for more than 15 to 30 minutes of intense sunlight exposure.

In other news, a paper available on the Biology of Reproduction journal’s website has found that vitamin D induces immune responses in placental tissues by stimulating production of the antimicrobial protein cathelicidin.

The study involved exposing cultured human trophoblast cells to the active form of the vitamin.