Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Suzanne Elizabeth Judd, Emory University; Vin Tangpricha, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2009-07
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2009 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation
• Final Published Version (URL): http://journals.lww.com/amjmedsci/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2009&issue=07000&article=00017&type=abstract
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: American Journal of the Medical Sciences
• ISSN: 0002-9629
• Volume: 338
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 40
• End Page: 44
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was supported, in part, by NIH K23 AR054334 (to VT).
• Keywords: Hypertension; Vitamin D; Cholecalciferol; Ergocalciferol cardiovascular disease
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Nutrition; Health Sciences, Epidemiology

Abstract

Vitamin D is an important prohormone for optimal intestinal calcium absorption for mineralization of bone. Because the vitamin D receptor is present in multiple tissues, there has been interest in evaluating other potential functions of vitamin D, particularly, in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Cross-sectional studies have reported that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of CVD, including hypertension, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease. Initial prospective studies have also demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of developing incident hypertension or sudden cardiac death in individuals with preexisting CVD. Very few prospective clinical studies have been conducted to examine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on cardiovascular outcomes. The mechanism for how vitamin D may improve CVD outcomes remains obscure; however, potential hypotheses include the downregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, direct effects on the heart, and vasculature or improvement of glycemic control. This review will examine the epidemiologic and clinical evidence for vitamin D deficiency as a cardiovascular risk factor and explore potential mechanisms for the cardioprotective effect of vitamin D.