A new meta-analysis has found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation. The most common form of irregular heartbeat and the most frequent cause of strokes, over 33 million people worldwide are estimated to be suffering from this heart condition. Published in the Nutrition Journal by researchers from China, the analysis examines a total of 13 studies involving 6,519 cases of atrial fibrillation among 74,885 participants. Based on the results, the researchers conclude that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation both in the general population and among patients undergoing heart bypass operations.
Noting that vitamin D deficiency is common in many countries nowadays, the researchers describe how less than a quarter of the population in the United States has a serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] above 30 ng/ml. The major circulating form of vitamin D in the body, research suggests that 30 ng/ml of 25(OH)D may be the minimum concentration required for optimum health. While there is much debate over what the optimal concentration is, there is growing consensus that current recommendations for vitamin D intake set by government health authorities are insufficient.
The researchers found that a serum vitamin D concentration of less than 20 ng/ml increased the risk of atrial fibrillation by 23 percent, while a concentration of less than 30 ng/ml increased the risk by 14 percent. Overall, the results of the analysis demonstrate an inverse association between vitamin D concentration and the risk of atrial fibrillation.
In addition to the general population, the researchers also noted vitamin D deficiency to be associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation among patients undergoing heart bypass operations. While the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and postoperative atrial fibrillation after heart bypass has been much debated, the researchers say their finding is not surprising. Previous studies have already suggested that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of electrocardiograph abnormalities, for example. A study published in 2015 examined patients undergoing heart surgery and found that low concentrations of 25(OH)D were associated with a significantly higher risk of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events.
As important as vitamin D is, however, Dr. Rath’s Cellular Medicine research has demonstrated that, for the most effective control of atrial fibrillation, a multi-nutrient approach is needed.
In addition to following his Basic Cellular Health Recommendations, Dr. Rath recommends that patients suffering from atrial fibrillation should take the following micronutrients in higher dosages:
|VITAMIN C – A vitally important nutrient, vitamin C supplies energy for the metabolism of each cell. It also supplies the bioenergy carrier molecules of the vitamin B group with lifesaving cellular energy.|
|VITAMINS B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 AND BIOTIN – The B vitamins are bioenergy carriers of cellular metabolism, particularly for the heart muscle cells that generate and conduct the electrical impulses required for a normal heartbeat.|
|COENZYME Q10 – Also known as ubiquinone, this nutrient is the most important element in the ‘respiratory chain’ of each cell. It plays a vital role in the energy metabolism of heart muscle cells.|
|CARNITINE – Another important nutrient, carnitine contributes to the efficient utilization of cellular bioenergy in the ‘power plants’ (mitochondria) of heart muscle cells.|
|MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM – Together with potassium, the minerals magnesium and calcium are required for the optimum conduction of electrical impulses during the heartbeat cycle.|
Demonstrating the effectiveness of the Cellular Medicine approach, researchers at the Dr. Rath Research Institute have evaluated its clinical benefits in a double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial involving 131 patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
To carry out the trial, patients across 35 health centers were divided into two groups. One group was given the micronutrient program, while the other received an identical looking placebo pill containing inactive ingredients.
The researchers observed that, among patients taking the micronutrient program, the number experiencing frequent episodes of atrial fibrillation decreased significantly the longer they took the micronutrients. By the end of the 6-month trial only 27 percent of them reported they were still experiencing frequent episodes. Moreover, after just 3 months 22.7 percent of patients taking the micronutrients reported experiencing no episodes at all. By the end of the trial this number had almost doubled to 43 percent.
Overall, the researchers found that following the micronutrient program for the entire 6-month period of the trial decreased the frequency of episodes of atrial fibrillation in patients by an average of 30 percent. Most importantly, these results were achieved without patients suffering any side effects.
Given the ineffectiveness and dangerous side effects of pharmaceutical drugs used to treat atrial fibrillation, the time has surely come for micronutrient-based therapies to take center stage. Not only is a major revision in conventional medicine’s approach to this global health problem long overdue, the lives of millions of patients worldwide are depending on it.