A study, published in ESC Heart Failure, shows a strong association between vitamin D deficiency among the elderly and increased risk of heart failure.
Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study. They analyzed clinical data for 137 patients, 60 years or older, from August 2015 to February 2016 in Brazil.
The patient demographics were as follows:
● Women: 75.9 percent
● Overweight: 48.2 percent
● Obese: 30.6 percent
● Increase in the index waist/hip: 88.3 percent
● Dyslipidaemia: 94.2 percent
● Hypertension: 91.2 percent
● Coronary artery disease: 35 percent
● Cardiac arrhythmia or left ventricular hypertrophy: 27.7 percent
● Vitamin D deficiency: 65 percent
Researchers found the risk of heart failure was strongly associated with vitamin D deficiency, male gender, obesity and cardiac arrhythmia.