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A new study published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, reveals that low levels of Vitamin D is associated with a significantly higher risk for heart disease.

While prior research has confined that Vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone density loss and may increase blood pressure, the latter of which can increase the risk of heart attacks, researchers from the University of Copenhagen confirm that, based on aggregated population studies, Ischemic heart disease is suggestively linked to lowered vitamin D levels in the body.

The population study consisted of blood samples from over 10,000 Danes from 1981-1983. The subjects were then enlisted into the nationwide Danish registries to the present date.

Dr. Peter Brøndum-Jacobsen of the Clinical Biochemical Department in Copenhagen University Hospital explains in a statement:

"We have now examined the association between a low level of vitamin D and ischemic heart disease and death in the largest study to date. We observed that low levels of vitamin D compared to optimal levels are linked to 40% higher risk of ischemic heart disease, 64% higher risk of heart attack, 57% higher risk of early death, and to no less than 81% higher risk of death from heart disease."

Though experts note that the population studies alone are not enough to make any definitive conclusions about the relationship between Vitamin D deficiency and heart disease, due to the cultural and ethnic uniformity of the participants involved as well as the location in which the studies took place,

"we can ascertain that there is a strong statistical correlation between a low level of vitamin D and high risk of heart disease and early death." says Børge Nordestgaard, clinical professor at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and senior physician at Copenhagen University Hospital.

He adds, "The explanation may be that a low level of vitamin D directly leads to heart disease and death. However, it is also possible that vitamin deficiency is a marker for poor health generally,"

The World Health Organization estimates that 17 million people die each year from heart disease and that other such cardiovascular illnesses are the leading causes of death world wide, ahead of cancer and HIV.

Researchers say that the causal relationship between Vitamin D and heart failure, taken along with the statistics presented by WHO is enough to recommend that people of all ages and health backgrounds get as much vitamin D as possible by soaking up sun and, drinking more milk and/or taking supplements.