Targeted vitamin D3 supplementation cuts risk of second heart attack in half, study finds

A tailored approach of vitamin D3 supplementation in patients who have suffered a heart attack significantly reduces their risk of a second heart attack, a new study finds.

In a large, randomized clinical trial, researchers found that treating heart attack patients in a "target to treat" fashion, where patients' blood levels of vitamin D were monitored and vitamin D3 dosing adjusted to achieve optimal levels, cut their risk of a second heart attack in half.

The study, called the TARGET-D trial, enrolled patients from April 2017 to May 2023 and included 630 patients who had a heart attack within a month of their enrollment. Participants were followed until March 2025 for the occurrence of cardiovascular events.

Researchers randomized study patients into two groups: those who received no management of vitamin D3 by the study and those who received targeted vitamin D3 treatment.

In the vitamin D treatment group, the goal was to raise their blood levels of vitamin D to more than 40 nanograms per ml (ng/mL). Of the heart attack patients enrolled in the study, 85% had insufficient vitamin D3 levels (<40 ng/mL).

Of those who received targeted treatment, more than 50% required an initial vitamin D3 dose of 5,000 international units (IU), where current supplementation suggestions are usually between 600 to 800 IU.

For patients in the study who received targeted treatment, their vitamin D blood levels were checked once a year to determine if they were above 40 ng/mL. For patients whose vitamin D levels were lower, they were tested every three months with their dosage adjusted, then every year after they achieved 40 ng/mL.

Intermountain researchers then followed patients to see who had follow-up major cardiac events (MACE), including heart attack, heart failure hospitalization, stroke or death.

Thanks for posting this study. I had a heart attack about 15 months ago, but for many years I have had a fairly high level of vitamin D. I haven’t tested it recently, but I was at 68 sometime in early 2021. I had been taking 5000 IU per day, usually with a fatty meal to increase absorption. However, I have switched to 10,000 IU mixed with 200 µg of vitamin K2. I have this every other day, again with a fatty meal, or perhaps some EV olive oil. I am sure that my vitamin D level is well above 40, so this study gives me a great deal of comfort. Of course, it is not the only thing that I am doing to try to prevent a second heart attack, but it is an important part of the overall self treatment plan that I have.

I think that it is also important for people taking D3 to understand that they also need to be taking supplements of K2. If you just take D3, you’re going to get a build up of calcium in soft tissue, which is not a good result. The K2 helps to direct calcium to where it belongs, which is in your bones and teeth, not in your soft tissues. I would also urge people not to just take my word for it, but to do some of their own research. There’s plenty of that online, so this is not exactly a big challenge.

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