FAQ: Tailored Vitamin D Dosing and Heart Attack Risk Reduction in Heart Disease Patients
TL;DR
Heart disease patients can gain a 52% advantage in reducing heart attack risk by using personalized vitamin D dosing to achieve optimal blood levels.
The TARGET-D trial personalized vitamin D doses based on blood tests, adjusting every three months to maintain levels between 40-80 ng/mL for heart health.
Personalized vitamin D treatment could improve global heart health outcomes by preventing heart attacks and advancing precision medicine approaches to cardiovascular care.
Most heart disease patients needed vitamin D doses six times higher than FDA recommendations to reach optimal levels that cut heart attack risk in half.
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Adults with heart disease who took vitamin D doses tailored to reach optimal blood levels (40-80 ng/mL) reduced their risk of heart attack by 52% compared to those who did not receive vitamin D level monitoring.
The TARGET-D randomized clinical trial included adults with heart disease who had a previous heart attack, with over 85% of participants starting the study with vitamin D levels below 40 ng/mL.
Unlike earlier trials that used standard doses for all participants, this study personalized vitamin D doses based on each participant's blood test results and adjusted doses every three months until optimal levels were achieved.
The target range was 40-80 ng/mL, which many experts believe is optimal for heart health, and participants' doses were adjusted to maintain levels above 40 ng/mL.
Nearly 52% of people in the treatment group needed to take more than 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily, which is more than six times the FDA's established 800 IU daily value.
This preliminary study was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025, held November 7-10 in New Orleans.
This study is a research abstract presented at a scientific meeting and is not yet peer-reviewed; the findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Participants in the treatment group had their vitamin D and calcium levels checked every three months until reaching target levels, then annually thereafter, with doses adjusted as needed to maintain optimal levels.
85% of all study participants had vitamin D levels below 40 ng/mL at enrollment, indicating widespread vitamin D insufficiency among the heart disease population studied.
This preliminary research suggests that personalized vitamin D dosing to achieve specific blood levels may significantly reduce heart attack risk, but individuals should consult their healthcare providers before making any changes to their vitamin D regimen.
Curated from NewMediaWire
