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Arterial stiffness parameters associated with vitamin D deficiency and supplementation in patients with normal
Murat Sünbül1, Altuğ Çinçin2, Mehmet Bozbay2
1Department of Cardiology, Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey. drsunbul@yahoo.com.tr.
Insights
Vitamin D supplementation improved arterial stiffness in patients with deficiency. This suggests vitamin D may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk by improving pulse wave velocity and augmentation index.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Arterial stiffness, measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx), is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Vitamin D deficiency is linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk.
- The impact of vitamin D on arterial stiffness in individuals with normal cardiac function requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the effects of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation on arterial stiffness parameters.
- To assess changes in PWV and AIx following vitamin D3 treatment in patients with vitamin D deficiency and normal cardiac function.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 45 patients with vitamin D deficiency and normal cardiac function received oral vitamin D3 supplementation.
- Arterial stiffness parameters (PWV and AIx) were measured using the Mobil-O-Graph arteriograph system before and after treatment.
- Conventional echocardiographic parameters were assessed to ensure normal cardiac function.
Main Results:
- Vitamin D levels increased significantly post-treatment (9.0 to 29.0 nmol/L).
- Post-treatment PWV and AIx were significantly reduced compared to baseline.
- Baseline and post-treatment vitamin D levels showed significant correlations with PWV and AIx.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D supplementation demonstrates beneficial effects on arterial stiffness.
- Arterial stiffness parameters may serve as indicators for cardiovascular risk assessment in vitamin D-deficient individuals.
Objective:
Arterial stiffness parameters including pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx) are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A close relationship has been demonstrated between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation on arterial stiffness parameters in patients with normal cardiac functions.
Methods:
Study population consisted of 45 patients with vitamin D deficiency and normal cardiac functions. Median age (interquartile range) was 45.0 (12.00) years, and 33 patients were female. Patients were treated with oral administration of vitamin D3. Arterial stiffness parameters were evaluated using Mobil-O-Graph arteriograph system, which detected signals from the brachial artery before and after treatment.
Results:
Vitamin D levels significantly increased after treatment (9.0 [6.00] nmol/L vs 29.0 [11.50] nmol/L, p<0.001). No significant difference was observed among conventional echocardiographic parameters before or after treatment. Post-treatment PVW and AIx were significantly lower than baseline measurements (6.8 [1.55] m/s vs 6.4 [1.30] m/s, p<0.001 and 23.0 [22.00]% vs 31.0 [14.50]%, p<0.001, respectively). Baseline vitamin D levels significantly correlated with PWV (r=-0.352, p=0.018). Post-treatment vitamin D levels also significantly correlated with post-treatment PWV (r=-0.442, p=0.002) and AIx (r=-0.419, p=0.004). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed no independent predictor of baseline log-transformed PWV.
Conclusion:
Vitamin D supplementation has beneficial effects on arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness parameters may aid in the assessment of cardiovascular risk in patients with vitamin D deficiency.
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