Washington, July 13 - Low levels of Vitamin D and other nutrients may not be good for the health of your heart, according to latest research.

Recent studies have identified low vitamin D levels as a common problem with many adverse health effects, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease.

People with vitamin D deficiency are at increased risk of high blood pressure (BP), heart failure and heart disease, according to Suzanne Judd, University of Alabama, Birmingham (UA-B) and Vin Tangpricha of Emory University.

In heart disease patients, low vitamin D may increase the risk of high blood pressure or sudden death. Vitamin D deficiency may also help explain the apparent links between osteoporosis-related fractures and heart failure.

Osteoporosis and heart failure are both common conditions in older adults and share several risk factors including low vitamin D. Pending further research to clarify this relationship, patients with heart failure need attention to their risks of osteoporosis and fractures.

These findings were published in the July issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences (AJMS).