Tailored Vitamin D3 Supplementation Lowers Risk Of Heart Attack Recurrence

A tailored attack of vitamin D3 supplementation successful patients who person suffered a bosom onslaught importantly reduces their consequence of a 2nd bosom attack, a caller study from bosom researchers astatine Intermountain Health successful Salt Lake City finds.

In a large, randomized objective trial, Intermountain Health researchers person recovered that treating bosom onslaught patients successful a "target to treat" fashion, wherever patients' humor levels of vitamin D were monitored and vitamin D3 dosing adjusted to execute optimal levels, trim their consequence of a 2nd bosom onslaught successful half.

Results of nan study were presented connected Nov. 9 astatine nan 2025 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions successful New Orleans.

The results are promising, said Heidi May, PhD, cardiovascular epidemiologist astatine Intermountain Health and main interrogator of nan study

"We observed nary adverse outcomes erstwhile giving patients higher doses of vitamin D3 supplementation, and to importantly trim nan consequence of different bosom attack, which are breathtaking results," said Dr. May. "We're excited pinch these results but cognize we person further activity to do to validate these findings."

The findings are important arsenic betwixt a one-half to two-thirds of group worldwide person debased levels of vitamin D.

In nan past, astir group were capable to get capable vitamin D from nan sun. However, pinch changes successful manner and recommendations to trim tegument crab risk, sun vulnerability has decreased, and individuals must get capable vitamin D from replacement sources, specified arsenic supplementation pinch vitamin D3.

Many observational studies person shown debased levels of vitamin D to beryllium associated pinch mediocre cardiovascular outcomes. However, erstwhile objective tests provided modular supplementation doses to patients pinch nary simplification successful cardiovascular consequence found. Intermountain bosom researchers wondered if it was much important to summation a patient's vitamin D level to a definite level alternatively than conscionable supply supplementation.

Previous studies conscionable gave patients supplementation without regularly checking humor levels of vitamin D to find what supplementation achieved. With much targeted treatment, erstwhile we checked precisely really supplementation was moving and made adjustments, we recovered that patients had their consequence of different bosom onslaught trim successful half."

Dr. Heidi May, PhD, cardiovascular epidemiologist astatine Intermountain Health

The Intermountain study, called nan TARGET-D trial, enrolled patients from April 2017 to May 2023 and included 630 Intermountain Health patients who had a bosom onslaught wrong a period of their enrollment. Participants were followed until March 2025 for nan occurrence of cardiovascular events. 

Researchers randomized study patients into 2 groups: those who received nary guidance of vitamin D3 by nan study and those who received targeted vitamin D3 treatment.

In nan vitamin D treatment group, nan extremity was to raise their humor levels of vitamin D to much than 40 nanograms per ml (ng/mL). Of nan bosom onslaught patients enrolled successful nan study, 85% had insufficient vitamin D3 levels (<40 ng/mL).

Of those who received targeted treatment, much than 50% required an first vitamin D3 dose of 5,000 world units (IU), wherever existent supplementation suggestions are usually betwixt 600 to 800 IU.

For patients successful nan study who received targeted treatment, their vitamin D humor levels were checked erstwhile a twelvemonth to find if they were supra 40 ng/mL. For patients whose vitamin D levels were lower, they were tested each 3 months pinch their dosage adjusted, past each twelvemonth aft they achieved 40 ng/mL. 

Intermountain researchers past followed patients to spot who had follow-up awesome cardiac events (MACE), including bosom attack, bosom nonaccomplishment hospitalization, changeable aliases death.

Of nan 630 patients enrolled successful nan objective trial, 107 knowledgeable a awesome cardiac event.

Researchers recovered nary important quality successful nan consequence of MACE betwixt nan groups. However, they did find that nan consequence of a follow-up bosom onslaught was reduced by half successful those patients who received targeted vitamin D management. 

The adjacent measurement for researchers is to do a larger objective proceedings to reaffirm these findings.

A larger study group will let researchers to adequately measure whether targeted vitamin D guidance reduces nan consequence of processing aliases reducing nan consequence of different cardiovascular disease, said Dr. May.