by Leigh MacMillan
Experimental and observational studies have suggested a link between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular and metabolic disease, but this has not been confirmed in randomized controlled trials.
Jennifer Miao, MD, Katherine N. Bachmann, MD, MSCI, and colleagues conducted a prespecified secondary analysis of the DAYLIGHT (Vitamin D Therapy in Individuals at High Risk of Hypertension) randomized controlled trial. Biomarkers were measured at baseline and after six months of either low-dose or high-dose vitamin D supplementation in 289 individuals with low vitamin D status.
The researchers found that high-dose vitamin D supplementation did not improve biomarkers of glycemia, inflammation, neurohormonal activation, or lipids. In a meta-analysis of other randomized controlled trials reporting biomarker changes after vitamin D supplementation, they found no effect on LDL and potential modest improvements in biomarkers of insulin resistance and inflammation after vitamin D.
The findings were reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Vanderbilt Faculty Research Scholars Award, and American Heart Association Career Development Award.