A Finnish study reveals a possible way to reduce the risk of this most common arrhythmia.
Among the forms of arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, or auricular, is the most common. As a reminder, it is characterized by an irregular and often faster heart rate.
This arrhythmia disorder can cause symptoms like heart palpitations, fatigue, or shortness of breath.
High doses of vitamin D
While its risk with age, atrial fibrillation is associated with greater risks of stroke, heart failure. Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland recently revealed that high doses of vitamin D can reduce this risk of arrhythmia. Results published in the journal American Heart Journal.
To arrive at their results, they followed almost 2,500 elderly participants, a number including men aged 60 and over, and women aged 65 and over.
Three groups formed
These 2,495 volunteers were distributed as follows:
- a group receiving a placebo;
- a group receiving vitamin D3 at 40 micrograms per day (above the 20 microgram recommendation),
- one group receiving 80 micrograms daily.
Then the data were analyzed after five years of follow-up.
Vitamin D and arrhythmia: what result?
Thus, the risk of atrial fibrillation was reduced by 27% among the group having received 40 micrograms of vitamin D3 compared to the placebo group, and by 32% among the last group (80 micrograms).
As is often the case, the researchers indicate in a statement that further studies are needed to confirm that doses of vitamin D significantly higher than current recommendations should be recommended for the prevention of atrial fibrillation.