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Review
. 2022 Jul 4;14(13):2761.
doi: 10.3390/nu14132761.

The Role of Vitamin D in Stroke Prevention and the Effects of Its Supplementation for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review

Klaudia Marek  1 , Natalia Cichoń  2 , Joanna Saluk-Bijak  3 , Michał Bijak  2 , Elżbieta Miller  1
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Vitamin D in Stroke Prevention and the Effects of Its Supplementation for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review

Klaudia Marek et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Hypovitaminosis D is a serious public health problem, representing an independent factor in mortality among the general population. Vitamin D deficiency may affect up to one billion people worldwide. Recently, the potential association between vitamin D levels and stroke has gained increasing attention. Many studies suggest that maintaining normal serum vitamin D levels is associated with improvement of the cardiovascular system and a reduction in stroke risk. As a neurosteroid, vitamin D influences brain development and function and immunomodulation and affects brain neuroplasticity. It supports many processes that maintain homeostasis in the body. As stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide, more studies are needed to confirm the positive effects of vitamin D supplementation, its dosage at different stages of the disease, method of determination, and effect on stroke onset and recovery. Many studies on stroke survivors indicate that serum vitamin D levels only offer insignificant benefits and are not beneficial to recovery. This review article aims to highlight recent publications that have examined the potential of vitamin D supplementation to improve rehabilitation outcomes in stroke survivors. Particular attention has been paid to stroke prevention.

Keywords: 25(OH)D deficiency; rehabilitation; stroke; supplementation; vitamin D.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Benefits of proper vitamin D supplementation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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