A study presented this past week at the International Stroke Conference 2015 in Nashville Tennessee, shows that low vitamin D levels are linked to an increased risk of suffering a more severe stroke and having a worse outcome after a stroke, compared to those with healthier Vitamin D levels.
People with vitamin D levels of less than 30 ng/ml (the lower limit of the “normal”range), had a two times larger area of stroke-related death of brain tissue compared to those with normal vitamin D levels.
The study also also found that the odds of a healthy recovery assessed three months after stroke was significantly worse for those with low Vitamin D levels.
The study included nearly 100 stroke patients who were treated at U.S. hospitals in 2013 and 2014. “It’s too early to draw firm conclusions from our small study,” senior researcher Professor Nils Henninger, M.D. from University of Massachusetts Medical School, said. “However, the results do provide the impetus for further rigorous investigations into the association of vitamin D status and stroke severity. If our findings are replicated, the next logical step may be to test whether supplementation can protect patients at high risk for stroke,” Henninger said.
Everyone should have their Vitamin D level checked and act upon the findings. Foods containing Vitamin D include eggs, milk products, fish and liver. Vitamin D is also made in the body under the influence of sun exposure.
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