HDL and vitamin D

22. February 2007 William Davis (5)
I know of no published reports on this question, but I've now seen numerous people experience significant jumps in HDL with raising blood vitamin D to 25-OH-vitamin D3.

Last week, for example, I had a man who had struggled with raising HDL from a starting level of 28 mg/dl. On niacin, exercise, weight loss, fish oil, red wine, and cilostazol (a prescription agent that I use occasionally that raises HDL), his HDL rose to 41 mg/dl--better, but hardly to our goal.

I added vitamin D, 4000 units, and raised his 25-OH-vitamin D3 level from 22 ng/ml to 53 ng/ml. Next HDL: 73 mg/dl! Small LDL improves along with a rise in HDL.

Not everybody's response is this dramatic. I see more typical rises of 5 to 10 mg/dl every day. I'm uncertain of why the response is inconsistent, though people who begin with lower vitamin D levels seem to experience a larger HDL increase. I wonder if the partial normalization of insulin and glucose responses is at work, or some anti-inflammatory effect.

Vitamin D provides so many other benefits, as well as HDL-raising. I hope you've gone to the effort to have your blood level checked to determine your replacement need. If not, now's the time. February represents your nadir (lowest point) for 25-OH-vitamin D3 blood levels.
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Comments (5) -

  • Mike

    2/22/2007 4:49:00 PM |

    If higher vitamin D levels increase HDL, then HDL levels should be higher in the summer and lower in the winter.

    I did a quick Google search and the first two studies that I found showed the opposite.

    http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1059698
    http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2459/is_n4_v22/ai_13228867

  • Anonymous

    2/22/2007 6:20:00 PM |

    I am an RN with an interest in nutrition and heart dx. One of my son's has CAD, with blockage in LAD and was recently cardioverted due to persistant a.flutter 4:1 block.  Even though he is on statins, niacin, does exercise, has lost weight,takes fish oil, his HDL has only come up to 37.  

    I am going to suggest that he add the Vit D and maybe that will help.  Thank you for this information.

  • neil

    2/22/2007 11:54:00 PM |

    Hi Dr. Davis,

    It will be interesting to see if these results hold true for other patients, please keep us updated. It certainly sounds hopeful for those of us that struggle to keep our HDL up to a level of 60, and our HDL2 sub-fractions high as well.

    I ran across an article that shows perhaps a vitamin D pill treatment for cancer might be patentable!

    http://tinyurl.com/36dvb8

    Neil

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    11/2/2010 9:16:08 PM |

    Not everybody's response is this dramatic. I see more typical rises of 5 to 10 mg/dl every day. I'm uncertain of why the response is inconsistent, though people who begin with lower vitamin D levels seem to experience a larger HDL increase. I wonder if the partial normalization of insulin and glucose responses is at work, or some anti-inflammatory effect.

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