There appears to be a correlation between low vitamin D levels and high cholesterol. However, researchers are still trying to determine whether improving your vitamin D status can lead to a better cholesterol profile and reduced risk for heart disease. If you have high cholesterol, consult your doctor to develop a treatment plan.
Status
While an association between low vitamin D and high cholesterol exists, taking supplemental vitamin D and calcium does not appear to reduce your "bad" cholesterol -- low density lipoproteins, or LDL, according to MedlinePlus. Limited research shows vitamin D and calcium supplements combined with a low-calorie diet significantly raised "good" cholesterol -- high-density lipoproteins, or HDL -- and reduced LDL for overweight women.
New Study
Rockefeller University in New York began recruiting subjects in January 2010 for a clinical trial to determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between low vitamin D status and higher levels of small LDL cholesterol. The study aims to examine whether vitamin D supplementation can bring about changes in cholesterol profiles for people at risk for cardiovascular disease. Study subjects were to receive either 50,000 units per week of vitamin D or a placebo. Researchers proposed to take blood samples before and after eight weeks and compare levels of small LDL cholesterol. Small LDL cholesterol molecules more easily breach the walls of blood vessels and cause damage.
UV Boost
A 2008 study published in "Metabolism Clinical and Experimental" examined whether boosting vitamin D levels via ultraviolet radiation exposure would improve cholesterol profiles. It concluded that doing so had no significant effect. The study notes, however, that the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL was negatively correlated with vitamin D levels at baseline, or when initial measurements to determine vitamin D and cholesterol status were taken.
Diabetic Effects
Vitamin D might have a stronger effect on heart disease risk if you are diabetic, according to a 2010 study reported in the "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology." If you have a low vitamin D level and are diabetic, your risk for developing cardiovascular disease is nearly double that of a diabetic person with good vitamin D status, according to lead study author A.E. Riek. Also, prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is 20 percent higher among type 2 diabetics than non-diabetics. Riek's study attempted to explain why vitamin D deficiency appears to cause increased susceptibility to atherosclerosis. Vitamin D seems to reduce uptake of LDL cholesterol by foam cells in diabetic people but does not appear to have this effect in non-diabetic people, according to Riek. Foam cells are cholesterol-filled cells that are involved in atherosclerosis.
References
- Rockefeller University: Clinical Trial to Explore Link Between Vitamin D and Cholesterol; January 2010
- MedlinePlus: Vitamin D; February 2011
- "Metabolism Clinical and Experimental": 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Cholesterol, and Ultraviolet Irradiation; L.D. Carbone, et al.; June 2008
- "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology": Vitamin D Regulates Macrophage Cholesterol Metabolism in Diabetes; A.E. Riek, et al.; 2010
- "Atherosclerosis": Sarah Jane George and Jason Johnson; 2010
- "Mast Cell Proteases In Immunology and Biology": George H. Caughey; 1995
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