We’re told early in life to get enough sun and take our vitamins. But what are the consequences of skipping that daily dose of vitamin D?
New research from Finland has drawn a direct line between low vitamin D levels in childhood and a significantly increased risk of a disease in adulthood.
The findings are based on over 3,500 people tracked for nearly 40 years.
The invisible risk hiding in your blood
Researchers analyzed stored blood samples from children aged 3 to 18, collected back in 1980, measuring their levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D — the main marker for vitamin D in the body.
Decades later, they checked in to see who had developed heart disease.
The results were clear: children with vitamin D levels below 35 nmol/L had more than twice the risk of adult-onset heart disease compared to those with higher levels.
This link held strong even after adjusting for other childhood risk factors like BMI, cholesterol, diet, and activity.
Nearly one in five participants had vitamin D levels below 37 nmol/L, suggesting that many children may unknowingly carry a risk factor for future heart trouble.
A window of prevention we didn’t know we had
Vitamin D isn’t just for bones — it influences blood pressure, inflammation, and even how arteries age.
Scientists believe that its role in the vascular system may explain how a childhood deficiency can set the stage for disease decades later.
The study opens the door to a new kind of prevention: identifying and correcting low vitamin D levels early in life, before heart disease has a chance to take hold.
While more research is needed to confirm whether supplements can directly prevent ASCVD, the evidence is compelling enough to warrant attention from parents and policymakers alike.
This article is based on information from news-medical.net.