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News flash! Nate Dogg dead at 41 from stroke – low vitamin D?
African-Americans have the lowest levels of vitamin D in the US population. In fact, 97% have levels below 30 ng/mL, the absolute lowest level needed to maintain good health.
We now know that low vitamin D levels greatly increase the risk for stroke and other heart and vessel diseases. Low vitamin D also promotes the development of atherosclerosis – hardening of the arteries – a dangerous disease that leads to stroke and heart attacks.
Vitamin D levels are dramatically lower than just 20 years ago.
Percent with Low Vitamin D by Age - based on Arch Intern Med 2009; 169
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Back then, over half of Americans under 40 had adequate vitamin D levels. Now less than a quarter do.
Back then, vitamin D levels gradually dropped with age. Now low levels dominate all age groups.
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If we look by ethnic and racial groups, we see that an even worse picture.
Percent with Low Vitamin D by Group - based on Arch Intern Med 2009; 169
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While vitamin D levels have dropped in every group of Americans, African-Americans have a horrendous situation – only 3% have adequate levels. Among other groups, only 9% of Asian-Americans, 10% of Hispanic-Americans, and 29% of Caucasian Americans have adequate levels.
Seeing these numbers, it is no surprise that even affluent African-Americans still have far more strokes and heart attacks than any other segment of our society.
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The good news is that correcting low vitamin D is both easy and cheap. A few pennies a day can purchase the vitamin D drops or pills to provide the 2,000 to 4,000 units a day that will get most Americans to healthy levels over several months.
To reap long-term health benefits from better vitamin D levels, you must maintain those good levels indefinitely, which means taking the right amount of vitamin D forever.
Want to avoid a stroke or heart attack at a young age? Have your vitamin D level checked along with your cholesterol level. Get both of them into healthy ranges. It could save your life.
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Tomorrow’s post – pregnancy and vitamin D – is there enough D in a prenatal vitamin?
