MedWire News: People with low levels of vitamin D have an overall greater risk of death, particularly due to cardiovascular problems, than those with optimum levels of the vitamin, researchers have found.

The findings are in line with the results of another recent study, reported by MedWire News, which found an increased risk of heart attacks among men with low levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D, which is important for bone health, is produced in the body when skin is exposed to sunlight. However, it is also found in some foods, such as liver, oily fish and eggs.

For the current study, Dr Harald Dobnig, from the Medical University of Graz in Austria, and colleagues studied the link between vitamin D levels and mortality among 3258 patients, aged an average of 62 years, who underwent heart tests at a single medical centre between 1997 and 2000.

Over an average monitoring period of more than 7 years, 737 of the patients died, including 463 from cardiovascular causes.

The researchers found that patients with the lowest levels of vitamin D were around twice as likely to die of any cause, and from cardiovascular causes specifically, than patients with the highest levels of the vitamin.

The findings remained true after accounting for the presence of coronary artery disease, physical activity levels and other factors, the team notes.

Analysis also revealed that low levels of vitamin D were significantly associated with high levels of inflammation 'markers', such as C-reactive protein, which are associated with cardiovascular conditions.

Writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr Dobnig and team conclude: "This... study demonstrates for the first time, to our knowledge, that low [vitamin D] levels are associated with increased risk in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared with patients with higher serum vitamin D levels."

Based on the results of their study, the researchers add that maintaining optimum levels of vitamin D "may be advised for maintaining general health".