High Triglycerides in Menopause: Vitamin D Supplements Help Reduce Them
High triglycerides in menopause: Vitamin D lowers them
A daily dose of 4000 IU of vitamin D, about 100 micrograms, can reduce triglyceride levels, but not cholesterol, in the blood of postmenopausal women at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
This is demonstrated by a new study conducted at the Instituto Nacional De Salud Publica in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.
Vitamin D and dyslipidemia
The term vitamin D refers to two precursors: D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, known as ergocalciferol. Both D3 and D2 are converted in the liver and kidneys into 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the inactive storage form, and into 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the active form.
Vitamin D deficiency in adults is associated with conditions such as osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Although some research highlights a role of vitamin D in improving heart health, it is unclear whether this relationship is causal and whether optimal vitamin D levels are a cause or consequence of good cardiovascular health. In particular, low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D have been linked to an unfavorable lipid profile.
Elevated blood lipids are a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and a public health issue that is steadily increasing. Dyslipidemia is especially relevant in vulnerable populations such as postmenopausal women.
Study details
A total of 104 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes participated in the clinical study. All took one tablet daily for 6 months: one group received tablets containing 4000 IU (about 100 micrograms) of vitamin D, while another group received a placebo. Analysis of serum from 99 women who completed the study showed that increased vitamin D levels in the supplemented group were associated with a decrease in triglyceride concentration.
No significant changes were observed in HDL, LDL, or total cholesterol levels, while a non-significant association between vitamin D and high-density lipoprotein levels emerged. Various mechanisms could explain these results; vitamin D may increase calcium absorption, reducing fatty acid absorption in the intestine and thereby lowering triglyceride levels.
Important results
According to the researchers, the results suggest that vitamin D supplementation may have a beneficial effect on serum triglyceride levels without affecting other lipids.
These findings are important because lowering serum concentrations of triglycerides and total cholesterol prevents artery thickening and narrowing, thereby potentially reducing the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.
Further studies with larger samples and longer durations will be needed to better understand the role of vitamin D supplementation in preventing dyslipidemia and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Source: Paloma Muñoz-Aguirre, Mario Flores, Nayeli Macias, Amado D. Quezada, Edgar Denova-Gutiérrez, Jorge Salmerón. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on serum lipids in postmenopausal women with diabetes: A randomized controlled trial, Published Online: October 09, 2014
