Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 09, 2025
Tailored Vitamin D Cuts Heart Attack Risk by 52% in Landmark Study
TLDR
- Heart disease patients can gain a 52% advantage in reducing heart attack risk by using personalized vitamin D dosing to achieve optimal blood levels.
- The TARGET-D trial personalized vitamin D doses based on blood tests, adjusting every three months to maintain levels between 40-80 ng/mL for heart health.
- Personalized vitamin D treatment could improve global heart health outcomes by preventing heart attacks and advancing precision medicine approaches to cardiovascular care.
- Most heart disease patients needed vitamin D doses six times higher than FDA recommendations to reach optimal levels that cut heart attack risk in half.
Impact - Why it Matters
This research represents a potential paradigm shift in cardiovascular prevention, suggesting that personalized vitamin D supplementation could significantly reduce recurrent heart attacks in high-risk patients. For the millions of Americans living with heart disease, these findings offer a promising, accessible intervention that could complement existing treatments. The study's emphasis on individualized dosing based on blood levels rather than standardized recommendations highlights the importance of personalized medicine in chronic disease management. Given that vitamin D deficiency is widespread and heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, this approach could have substantial public health implications if validated through further research and implemented in clinical practice.
Summary
A groundbreaking study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 reveals that adults with heart disease who received personalized vitamin D supplementation saw their heart attack risk slashed by more than half. The TARGET-D randomized clinical trial, led by principal investigator Heidi T. May, Ph.D., of Intermountain Health, took a novel approach by tailoring vitamin D doses to achieve optimal blood levels between 40-80 ng/mL, rather than using standard one-size-fits-all dosing. This personalized strategy proved remarkably effective, with participants in the treatment group experiencing a 52% reduction in heart attacks compared to those receiving standard care without vitamin D level monitoring.
The study's findings are particularly significant given that more than 85% of participants began with vitamin D levels below the optimal threshold of 40 ng/mL. Surprisingly, nearly 52% of those in the treatment group required doses exceeding 5,000 IU daily—more than six times the FDA's recommended 800 IU—to reach target levels. Researchers carefully monitored participants to prevent vitamin D toxicity, adjusting doses every three months and checking calcium levels to avoid complications like hypercalcemia and kidney failure. While the study focused on preventing serious cardiovascular events including stroke and heart failure hospitalization, the most dramatic benefit appeared specifically for heart attack prevention.
Dr. May emphasizes that these results could transform patient care by shifting focus toward routine vitamin D blood testing and individualized supplementation. The research, which followed 630 adults with acute coronary syndrome for an average of 4.2 years, represents a major advancement in understanding how targeted nutrient optimization can impact cardiovascular health. However, the authors caution that more research is needed to determine if similar benefits apply to people without existing heart disease or across diverse racial backgrounds, as approximately 90% of participants identified as white. The findings underscore the importance of discussing personalized vitamin D testing and dosing with healthcare providers for those with cardiovascular conditions.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by NewMediaWire. Read the original source here, Tailored Vitamin D Cuts Heart Attack Risk by 52% in Landmark Study
