Taking vitamin D could lower heart disease risk for people with dark skin 服用維生素D可以降低皮膚黝黑人士患心髒病的風險

News Release 26-Apr-2021

Editor’s note: Many studies have come to the same conclusion. Read some original research publications whose tiles are shown below

• Relationship Between Dietary Vitamin D and Deaths From Stroke and Coronary Heart Disease
• Reduced Vitamin D in Acute Stroke
• Vitamin D and cardiovascular disease: From atherosclerosis to myocardial infarction and stroke
• Vitamin D deficiency and risk of cardiovascular diseases: a narrative review

編者註：許多研究得出了相同的結論。 閱讀一些原始研究出版物，其圖塊如下所示

• 飲食中維生素D與中風和冠心病死亡的關係
• 減少急性中風中的維生素D
• 維生素D與心血管疾病：從動脈粥樣硬化到心肌梗塞和中風
• 維生素D缺乏症和心血管疾病的風險：敘事回顧

Racial disparities in heart disease may be linked to vitamin D deficiency

Experimental Biology

Research News

New research suggests a simple step could help millions of people reduce their risk of heart disease: make sure to get enough vitamin D. Elucidating linkages between skin pigmentation, vitamin D and indicators of cardiovascular health, the new study, combined with evidence from previous research, suggests vitamin D deficiency could contribute to the high rate of heart disease among African Americans.

“More darkly-pigmented individuals may be at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, particularly in areas of relatively low sun exposure or high seasonality of sun exposure,” said S. Tony Wolf, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Pennsylvania State University and the study’s lead author. “These findings may help to explain some of the differences that we see in the risk for developing blood vessel dysfunction, hypertension and overt cardiovascular disease between ethnic groups in the United States. Although there are many factors that contribute to the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, vitamin D supplementation may provide a simple and cost-effective strategy to reduce those disparities.”

Wolf noted that the need for vitamin D supplementation depends on a variety of factors, including where you live, how much time you spend in the sun, your skin pigmentation and your age.

Wolf will present the research at the American Physiological Society annual meeting during the Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting, held virtually April 27-30.

Melanin, which is more concentrated in darker skin, is known to inhibit the process our bodies use to make vitamin D in the presence of sunlight. As a result, darkly pigmented people may make less vitamin D, potentially leading to vitamin D deficiency.

For the study, Wolf and colleagues measured skin pigmentation, vitamin D and the activity of nitric oxide in the small blood vessels beneath the skin in 18 heathy adults of varying skin tones. Nitric oxide is important for blood vessel function, and reduced nitric oxide availability is thought to predispose an individual to the development of hypertension or cardiovascular disease. Previous studies suggest vitamin D helps to promote nitric oxide availability.

Study participants with darker skin had lower levels of vitamin D and lower nitric oxide availability. In addition, the researchers found that lower levels of vitamin D were related to reduced nitric oxide-mediated blood vessel function. The results align with those of a separate study by the same research group, which found that vitamin D supplementation improved blood vitamin D levels and nitric oxide-mediated blood vessel function in otherwise healthy, young African American adults.

“Vitamin D supplementation is a simple and safe strategy to ensure vitamin D sufficiency,” said Wolf. “Our findings suggest that promoting adequate vitamin D status in young, otherwise healthy adults may improve nitric oxide availability and blood vessel function, and thereby serve as a prophylactic to reduce risk of future development of hypertension or cardiovascular disease.”

Wolf will present this research in poster R3552 (abstract). This work will be featured in a virtual press conference from 1-1:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 26 (RSVP by Friday, April 23). Contact the media team for more information or to obtain a free press pass to access the virtual meeting.

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About Experimental Biology 2021

Experimental Biology is an annual meeting comprised of thousands of scientists from five host societies and multiple guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio

About the American Physiological Society (APS)

Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work. http://www.physiology.org

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