Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2018 and is preserved for historical interest. Some recommendations, regulations, and scientific evidence have changed since it was written. It reflects the research and perspectives available at that time.

A cross-sectional study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (2009; 109(8): 1406–1410) compared 100 hospitalized patients with heart failure to healthy controls. Vitamin deficiencies were significantly more common in the heart failure group.

  • Vitamin B6 deficiency was present in 38% of heart failure patients, compared with 19% of controls

  • Riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiency was found in 27% of heart failure patients, compared with just 2% of controls

Notably, the use of vitamin supplements did not eliminate these differences, suggesting that factors such as impaired absorption, increased metabolic demand, medication effects, or altered nutrient utilization may contribute to micronutrient deficiencies in heart failure patients.