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Thursday, January 7, 2010

Low vitamin D levels associated with increased heart risks in black patients.

Research News fro ACC:

The Los Angeles Times (1/6, Maugh) "Booster Shots" blog reported that "the disparity in rates of heart disease deaths between blacks and whites can be attributed in large part to low levels of vitamin D in a substantial portion of the black population," according to a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine. Altogether, investigators "found that the 25% of subjects in the study with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D had a 40% higher risk of dying from heart disease than those in the upper 75%." The researchers found that "blacks in the study had a 38% higher risk of dying from heart disease than whites...but low blood levels of vitamin D accounted for about two-thirds of the increased risk," with poverty responsible for the remainder. HealthDay (1/6, Edelson) and HeartWire (1/6, Hughes) also covered the story.

http://bit.ly/6UZTco
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