Supplements – NatWonk – Dr Bier's Research Reviews

A Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating Vitamin D Normalization on Major Adverse Cardiovascular-Related Events Among Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: The TARGET-D Trial – Conference Abstract Only

November 22, 2025

Comment: I don’t usually review abstracts, but I think this is interesting enough that it’s worth posting at the very least to mark the dosing strategy, which finally mimics what we do clinically. The most compelling takeaway from the TARGET-D trial isn’t just the reduction in recurrent Myocardial Infarction (MI), but how they achieved it: through […]

Higher vitamin B12 from mid- to late life is related to slower rates of cognitive decline

November 17, 2025

| No Comments

| Folate, Memory-Dementia, Vitamin B12

Comment: It’s not like using B12 is a shocking new concept – it’s commonly used for brain and memory issues. This study adds that measuring serum B12 alone isn’t sufficient. The protective association was driven by the composite score, not standard cobalamin levels. To truly ensure our patients are utilizing B12 for neuroprotection, we must […]

A Statistical Error in the Estimation of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin D

November 16, 2025

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| Vitamin D

Comment: This one’s a bit of a favorite, as I don’t think anyone who measures vitamin D serum levels in clinical practice believes the IOM suggested dose could possibly be accurate. Here the authors point out a statistical mistake that was made and reassesses the same data to come to extrapolate to a far higher […]

Letter to Veugelers, P.J. and Ekwaru, J.P., A statistical error in the estimation of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin

November 16, 2025

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| Vitamin D

Comment: This is a graph that I keep close at hand as I share it with patients very frequently. It shows how diverse the requirements are to achieve adequate serum vitamin D levels, and how the actual supplementation level to get most people into target range is far higher than the IOM recommendations, which were […]

Evidence for the Benefits of Melatonin in Cardiovascular Disease

November 15, 2025

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| CVD-Cholesterol, Melatonin

Comment: The evidence summarized here makes a powerful case for melatonin as a therapeutic agent in cardiovascular health, a potent, naturally occurring neuroendocrine hormone with impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. What stands out most is the breadth of its potential benefits: from protecting the heart muscle during a heart attack (I/R injury) to suppressing damage […]

Melatonin as a Novel Drug to Improve Cardiac Function and Quality of Life in Heart Failure Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

November 15, 2025

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| CVD-Cholesterol, Melatonin

Comment: This meta-analysis offers a compelling signal for melatonin’s role in palliative care for Heart Failure (HF). The statistically significant and moderate-certainty finding that melatonin improves Quality of Life (QoL) is highly relevant for patients struggling with chronic symptoms. The observed reduction in fatigue and improvement in sleep quality strongly supports this benefit. However, the […]

Effect of melatonin on nocturnal blood pressure: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

November 14, 2025

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| CVD-Cholesterol, Melatonin

Comment: This is an important one for several reasons. Nocturnal hypertension is more closely associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and mortality than daytime hypertension, with nighttime systolic blood pressure being a stronger predictor of risk even after adjusting for daytime values. The reduction levels seen with controlled release melatonin may look minimal, but are actually […]

Effect of Long-term Melatonin Supplementation on Incidence of Heart Failure in Patients with Insomnia: Abstract 4371606

November 7, 2025

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| CVD-Cholesterol, Melatonin

Comment: This is a classic “real-world evidence” abstract that generates a frightening headline—a 90% increased risk of heart failure!—but whose findings are likely the result of a fatal flaw: confounding by indication. It’s impossible to fully judge a study from a conference abstract alone, as the methodology is never described in sufficient detail so we’ll […]

Early Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction with Melatonin: Effects on MMP-9 and Adverse Cardiac Events

November 7, 2025

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| CVD-Cholesterol, Melatonin, Supplements

Comment: This study is a classic example of one that is both exciting and deeply frustrating. The exciting part: A simple, cheap intervention (melatonin) was associated with a 70% relative reduction in death or heart failure readmission after a heart attack, supported by a significant, positive change in the MMP-9 biomarker. The frustrating part: The […]

Effect of Vitamin D2 Supplementation on 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

September 28, 2025

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| Vitamin D

Comment I’ve been using a basic rule of thumb – D3 – D2 = real vitamin D This study doesn’t exactly say that, but does give me a basis for my general statement that D2 may be worse than no D at all as it negatively impacts D3 status. Summary Title of the Article: […]