First - let’s explain the allopathic interpretation of this study (study linked below): What the new AHA abstract ACTUALLY found - Adults with established heart disease who had their vitamin D dosed to reach and maintain 25-OH-D between ~40–80 ng/mL had a 52% lower risk of myocardial infarction vs. a usual-care group that did not manage vitamin D levels. Primary composite outcomes (death/HF hospitalization/stroke) were not reduced. It’s a preliminary conference abstract (TARGET-D), not yet peer-reviewed. - 52% of the treatment group needed >5,000 IU/day to hit >40 ng/mL, and dosing was titrated every 3 months with safety monitoring; doses were reduced/stopped if levels exceeded 80 ng/mL to avoid hypercalcemia. Why “normal” lab values are often too low - U.S. National Academies/NIH materials frame ≥20 ng/mL as “generally adequate” for bone outcomes, which is why some labs set the “normal” lower bound near 20. But that threshold was never meant to optimize non-skeletal outcomes. - The Endocrine Society’s 2024 guideline moved away from endorsing a single universal target like 30 ng/mL for everyone, acknowledging heterogeneous needs and advising routine RDA-level supplementation only for most healthy adults <75 without indications—reserving higher targets/doses for specific populations/indications. - Earlier (2011) guidance commonly sought ≥30 ng/mL, and many functional clinicians aim 40–60 ng/mL for broader physiology—aligning with the TARGET-D optimization approach rather than a one-size-fits-all dose. (Note: the 2011 target is now superseded, but it explains today’s differing “normals.”) What low vitamin D implies (condensed) - Cardiometabolic risk: Low 25-OH-D is consistently associated with higher CVD risk; however, in the general population the large VITAL RCT (2,000 IU/day) did not lower major CVD events, suggesting benefit may require targeted treatment of deficiency or higher-risk subgroups (like TARGET-D did). - Infectious disease/COVID-19: Observational and some interventional/meta-analytic data link low D to worse outcomes and suggest benefit to supplementation—especially with multiple/adequate doses—but it’s not accurate to claim “nearly 100% of COVID deaths are due to low vitamin D.” That overstates the evidence. - Musculoskeletal/immune: Low D compromises calcium homeostasis, bone, and immune function; very high levels can cause toxicity (hypercalcemia, renal issues, arrhythmias), which is why monitoring matters. UL for most adults is 4,000 IU/day (outside supervised care).