A recent study in type I diabetics gives us another reason, other than swine flu to make sure our vitamin D levels are optimized. 375 patients with type I diabetes were studied and their vitamin D levels measured. When the levels were below 25 nmol/L (SI, Canadian units) these patients were almost 3 times as likely to develop calcified plaque blockages in their arteries than those who had levels above 75 nmol/L. Further, deficiencies were likely to cause progression of the calcified blockages.
Interestingly, this vitamin D deficiency made patients more likely to have plaque build up even in comparison to sugar control, age, and male sex.
A similar correlation was found in patients undergoing hemodialysis due to kidney disease. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased hs-CRP (inflammation in the blood vessels), and increased calcified plaque in the arteries.
Here’s the best part: a third study looked at patients who had no symptoms but were found to have calcified plaque in their arteries by calcium scoring (I prefer EBT or electron beam tomography for calcium scoring of the arteries in my patients). The patients were treated with a statin drug, niacin (vitamin B3), omega 3 fish oils, and vitamin D (to get levels to 125 nmol/L). 44% had reductions in their plaque levels (reversing the build up in the arteries), 49% had slowed growth, and only 3/45 patients had plaque growth more than 30%.
