Low Vitamin D may lead to cardiac death

"Sunshine is indeed the key to a long and healthy life, for a new study has found that Vitamin D deficiency can harm cardiovascular health and also result in death due to heart failure. Vitamin D deficiency results in part from reduced exposure to sunlight, which is common during cold weather months when days are shorter and more time is spent indoors. 'Chronic vitamin D deficiency may be a culprit in heart disease, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome,' said Sue Penckofer, PhD, study author and professor, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University, Chicago. The researchers found that risk of severe disease or death may be 30 to 50 per cent higher among sun-deprived individuals with heart disease. The research team led by Penckofer suggests that diet alone is not sufficient to manage vitamin D levels" - Time of India