Low Vitamin D levels are as consequence and not cause of Stroke, finds study

Lower levels of vitamin D do not lead to stroke, but the presence of stroke could lead to low levels of vitamin D, suggests a recently published study in the AHA journal Stroke. It found that only severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with incident stroke.

Previous studies investigating the association between vitamin D and stroke have shown inconsistent findings. In view of these discrepancies, the researchers determined the association of vitamin D status with stroke using data from a population-based study.

Vitamin D is well recognized for its bone and muscle strengthening properties. This sunshine vitamin is known to reduce the risk for conditions such as stress fracture, total body inflammation, infectious illness, and impaired muscle function. In recent decades, the research also has looked at how vitamin D levels affect cardiovascular disease but have yielded inconsistent results.

• Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was associated with prevalent stroke.


• After excluding participants with prevalent stroke, the researchers followed 9338 participants for a total of 98 529 person-years.


• During follow-up, 735 participants developed a stroke.


• Lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was not associated with higher stroke risk, adjusted hazard ratio per SD decrease.


• Severe vitamin D deficiency did show a significant association.

Also Read: Exercise and vitamin D help in reducing Risk of Heart attack and Stroke

In this population-based cohort, the researchers found an association between vitamin D and prevalent stroke. Only severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with incident stroke. This suggests that lower vitamin D levels do not lead to a higher stroke risk but are instead a consequence of stroke.

The study did suggest people who have strokes "may have limited vitamin D production because of reduced exposure to sunlight and diet quality, among other factors." But Ikram said there's no clear evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to reduce stroke risk.

To read the complete study log on to https://doi.org/10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.025449