Vitamin D status and functional performance in peripheral artery disease

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Nutritional Science
• Neurology

Background:

• Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects millions globally, with limited understanding of vitamin D's role.
• Low vitamin D status is prevalent in various chronic conditions, potentially impacting muscle and nerve health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical implications of low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in individuals with PAD.
• To determine associations between vitamin D status and functional performance, calf muscle characteristics, and peripheral nerve function in PAD patients.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 402 participants with PAD, measuring 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels via radioimmunoassay.
• Functional assessments included 6-minute walk test, walking velocity, calf muscle density (CT scan), and peripheral nerve conduction velocity (NCV).
• Statistical analyses adjusted for multiple confounding factors including age, sex, race, BMI, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors.

Main Results:

• 20.4% of PAD participants exhibited deficient vitamin D levels (< 30 nmol/L).
• Initially, lower vitamin D correlated with poorer walking performance and calf muscle density, but these lost significance after adjusting for BMI and diabetes.
• Significantly, lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels remained associated with poorer peroneal and sural nerve conduction velocities, even after comprehensive adjustments.

Conclusions:

• Vitamin D deficiency is a common comorbidity in patients with peripheral artery disease.
• Low vitamin D levels in PAD patients are not significantly associated with impaired functional performance or calf muscle characteristics when controlling for BMI and diabetes.
• The association between low vitamin D and diminished peripheral nerve function in PAD warrants further investigation.