Most protective level of Vitamin D for heart and cancer related death should be over 46 but less than 98
Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden compared mortality and Vitamin D levels in 1194 elderly men with an average age of 71 at the start of the study. Over the next 12.7 years 584 of these men or 49% died. In men with plasma Vitamin D levels less than 46 nmol/ L there was a 50% higher total mortality. Cancer related death and heart related death was higher in this group. Extremely high levels (greater than 98 nmol/ L were also connected to increased risk of mortality but not to increased risk of heart mortality but few met this criteria. The study is published in the August 18th, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Not; levels of vitamin D refer to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol also referred to as 25 hydroxy-vitamin D or 25(OH)D.