OT: Lack of sunshine vitamin may cloud survival odds

jezzie · 06-24-2008, 12:34 AM

Lack of sunshine vitamin may cloud survival odds
By LINDSEY TANNER , AP Medical Writer

(AP) -- New research linking low vitamin D levels with deaths from heart disease and other causes bolsters mounting evidence about the "sunshine" vitamin's role in good health.

Patients with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D were about two times more likely to die from any cause during the next eight years than those with the highest levels, the study found. The link with heart-related deaths was particularly strong in those with low vitamin D levels.

Experts say the results shouldn't be seen as a reason to start popping vitamin D pills or to spend hours in the sun, which is the main source for vitamin D.

For one thing, megadoses of vitamin D pills can be dangerous and skin cancer risks from too much sunshine are well-known. But also, it can't be determined from this type of study whether lack of vitamin D caused the deaths, or whether increasing vitamin D intake would make any difference.

Low vitamin D levels could reflect age, lack of physical activity and other lifestyle factors that also affect health, said American Heart Association spokeswoman Alice Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University.

Still, she said the study is an important addition to an emerging area of research.

"This is something that should not be ignored," Lichtenstein said.

The study led by Austrian researchers involved 3,258 men and women in southwest Germany. Participants were aged 62 on average, most with heart disease, whose vitamin D levels were checked in weekly blood tests. During roughly eight years of follow-up, 737 died, including 463 from heart-related problems.

According to one of the vitamin tests they used, there were 307 deaths in patients with the lowest levels, versus 103 deaths in those with the highest levels.

Counting age, physical activity and other factors, the researchers calculated that deaths from all causes were about twice as common in patients in the lowest-level group.

jezzie · 06-24-2008, 12:40 AM

Ooooops.

Lack of sunshine vitamin may cloud survival odds

.

SuSUN · 06-24-2008, 06:19 PM

That's why my Screen name is SuSUN instead of Susan. LOL!

Good Information again Jezzie. Thanks

Susan

MarblesLongGone · 06-24-2008, 06:23 PM

It comes down to the old, "all things in moderation", sez the skin cancer poster child....

BeachyWoman · 06-26-2008, 04:49 PM

I am the skin cancer poster child runner up. Five so far, and I am in the land of sun. I buy sunscreen by the quart.

jezzie · 06-27-2008, 02:19 AM

Ouch Ladies. How scary.

Maybe in some ways I'm lucky I was an odd child - who grew up to be an odd adult.
I do not like the sun on me. It makes me sweat. Don't like to sweat. It gives me a headache. lol.

I remember my mother complaining I wasn't going to 'look like I had been on vacation'
because I was always under a tree with my book.
Vacation for this city kid was going to my aunt's house "in the country".

But I do force myself to sit in the sun for twenty minutes a day to get my Vitamin D.

.

06-24-2008, 12:34 AM	#1
jezzie Old Wise One Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Hudson River Valley Posts: 36,625 Blog Entries: 75 Gallery: jezzie Stats: choosing to be scale-free; WOE: YOU:on a Diet - Dr. Oz Start Date: 04/22/07 - lightbulb; started YOU forthwith	OT: Lack of sunshine vitamin may cloud survival odds Lack of sunshine vitamin may cloud survival odds By LINDSEY TANNER , AP Medical Writer (AP) -- New research linking low vitamin D levels with deaths from heart disease and other causes bolsters mounting evidence about the "sunshine" vitamin's role in good health. Patients with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D were about two times more likely to die from any cause during the next eight years than those with the highest levels, the study found. The link with heart-related deaths was particularly strong in those with low vitamin D levels. Experts say the results shouldn't be seen as a reason to start popping vitamin D pills or to spend hours in the sun, which is the main source for vitamin D. For one thing, megadoses of vitamin D pills can be dangerous and skin cancer risks from too much sunshine are well-known. But also, it can't be determined from this type of study whether lack of vitamin D caused the deaths, or whether increasing vitamin D intake would make any difference. Low vitamin D levels could reflect age, lack of physical activity and other lifestyle factors that also affect health, said American Heart Association spokeswoman Alice Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University. Still, she said the study is an important addition to an emerging area of research. "This is something that should not be ignored," Lichtenstein said. The study led by Austrian researchers involved 3,258 men and women in southwest Germany. Participants were aged 62 on average, most with heart disease, whose vitamin D levels were checked in weekly blood tests. During roughly eight years of follow-up, 737 died, including 463 from heart-related problems. According to one of the vitamin tests they used, there were 307 deaths in patients with the lowest levels, versus 103 deaths in those with the highest levels. Counting age, physical activity and other factors, the researchers calculated that deaths from all causes were about twice as common in patients in the lowest-level group.

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06-24-2008, 12:40 AM	#2
jezzie Old Wise One Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Hudson River Valley Posts: 36,625 Blog Entries: 75 Gallery: jezzie Stats: choosing to be scale-free; WOE: YOU:on a Diet - Dr. Oz Start Date: 04/22/07 - lightbulb; started YOU forthwith	Ooooops. Lack of sunshine vitamin may cloud survival odds .

06-24-2008, 06:19 PM	#3
SuSUN Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,207 Blog Entries: 1 Gallery: SuSUN Stats: 152/119 WOE: BFFM since 07/2007 Start Date: LC since 02/2002	That's why my Screen name is SuSUN instead of Susan. LOL! Good Information again Jezzie. Thanks Susan

06-24-2008, 06:23 PM	#4
MarblesLongGone MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Hamilton, OH Posts: 2,362 Blog Entries: 2 Gallery: MarblesLongGone Stats: 248.5/206.0/190 6'0" WOE: Atkins / Carb Addicts / Schwarzbein / SB / Paleo / Start Date: April 1, 2008 (back on the wagon)	It comes down to the old, "all things in moderation", sez the skin cancer poster child....

06-26-2008, 04:49 PM	#5
BeachyWoman MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 2,268 Gallery: BeachyWoman WOE: Atkins Start Date: Feb. 3, 2003	I am the skin cancer poster child runner up. Five so far, and I am in the land of sun. I buy sunscreen by the quart.

06-27-2008, 02:19 AM	#6
jezzie Old Wise One Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Hudson River Valley Posts: 36,625 Blog Entries: 75 Gallery: jezzie Stats: choosing to be scale-free; WOE: YOU:on a Diet - Dr. Oz Start Date: 04/22/07 - lightbulb; started YOU forthwith	Ouch Ladies. How scary. Maybe in some ways I'm lucky I was an odd child - who grew up to be an odd adult. I do not like the sun on me. It makes me sweat. Don't like to sweat. It gives me a headache. lol. I remember my mother complaining I wasn't going to 'look like I had been on vacation' because I was always under a tree with my book. Vacation for this city kid was going to my aunt's house "in the country". But I do force myself to sit in the sun for twenty minutes a day to get my Vitamin D. .