Utilizing Vitamin D Supplementation in Heart Failure

Background: The purpose of this article is to procure a literature review on a relatively new area of research, ultimately aimed at improving the lives of those with heart failure. This article sheds light on the benefits of vitamin D supplementation, and it contributes significantly to the conversation regarding mitigating the complications of heart failure. Herein we aim to offer insight into whether vitamin D supplementation is beneficial for a patient with heart failure. Method: PubMed, MeSH, and PLOS One literature searches were conducted with the following search terms: heart failure, hospitalization, vitamin D, quality of life, and cardiovascular disease. Nine pertinent articles were ultimately retrieved and serve as the backbone for this article. To find the most up-to-date data, inclusion criteria included research conducted within the past 5 years. Two exceptions published within the past 10 years were made to this inclusion criteria due to their invaluable pertinence to the topic at hand. Results: This is novel research because science has only recently begun to seriously consider vitamin D as a legitimate adjunct therapy in heart failure. Studies herein indicate the potential for Vitamin D supplementation to improve quality of life and cardiac functioning, and decrease mortality, serum inflammatory markers, and left ventricular remodeling in patients with heart failure. Conclusion: There is growing evidence for a positive correlation between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular health. Vitamin D is unlikely to replace today’s medical therapy, but preliminary data indicates the potential of vitamin D to decrease hospitalization rates, improve quality of life, and even reduce mortality in patients with heart failure. Collectively, this data suggests vitamin D supplementation may be a beneficial augment to traditional medical therapy to improve outcomes in heart failure. Additional research is needed to parse out the benefit of vitamin D supplementation in the different stages and classifications of heart failure.