Health News__
Evidence Growing For
Vitamin D Heart Health Link

..... People with a deficiency in vitamin D may be at increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease, as recent research is showing that vitamin D may also be important for other body functions. A review of current research on vitamin D and cardiovascular health was noted in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
..... Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, diabetes-related cardiovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease, the researchers report, adding that studies have also linked inadequate amounts of vitamin D to high blood pressure and diabetes.
..... One study found people with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, or blockage of blood flow in the heart during five years of follow-up, with these risks being even higher among people with high blood pressure. People with chronically low vitamin D levels secrete too much parathyroid hormone, and this condition, known as hyperparathyroidism, has also been tied to heart and blood vessel problems, the researchers add .

Exercise & Calcium May Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk

....Regular exercise and a calcium-rich diet could be two ways to help lower the risk of metabolic syndrome, according to a new study reported in the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease -- including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides (another type of blood fat). The syndrome is typically diagnosed when a person has three or more of these conditions.
....In the new study, of more than 5,000 adults, researchers found that metabolic syndrome was less common among those who got the recommended amounts of exercise and dietary calcium.
....Overall, the study found, people who failed to get adequate exercise -- at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as walking, on most days of the week -- were 85 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome than their active counterparts.
....Similarly, men and women who said they did not regularly eat calcium-rich foods had a 61 percent higher risk of the syndrome than those who frequently consumed calcium-packed foods.