WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study by heart experts at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City found that a personalized vitamin D3 plan can greatly reduce the risk of having another heart attack in people who've already had one.
In the study called the TARGET-D trial, patients were split into two groups - one that received no vitamin D3 management and another that received a targeted treatment. The goal for the treatment group was to raise vitamin D levels in their blood to more than 40 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Notably, about 85 percent of participants started with low vitamin D levels (below 40 ng/mL).
Their vitamin D levels were checked regularly, once a year, if their levels were healthy, and every three months if they were low. The dosage was adjusted until they reached the target level.
The researchers found that more than half of those in the treatment group needed an initial daily dose of 5,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3, which is much higher than the usual 600-800 IU typically recommended.
The study concluded that carefully managing vitamin D levels through monitoring and adjusting doses could cut the risk of having another heart attack by 50 percent. However, there was no major difference between the groups when it came to the overall rate of serious heart problems.
Researchers plan to conduct a larger trial to confirm these results.
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