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Vitamin D deficiency and clinical outcome in patients with chronic heart failure: A review
Insights
Vitamin D deficiency is linked to increased heart failure (HF) risk and worse outcomes. However, current evidence does not support Vitamin D supplementation for preventing or treating HF.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a significant health concern with poor prognosis.
- Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly recognized as a potential contributing factor in HF development and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence linking Vitamin D deficiency to heart failure.
- To examine the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical effects of Vitamin D supplementation in HF patients.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of experimental and epidemiological studies.
- Analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on Vitamin D levels and HF.
- Evaluation of clinical trials on Vitamin D supplementation in HF.
Main Results:
- Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher prevalence and increased risk of developing HF.
- Low Vitamin D levels in established HF correlate with poorer clinical outcomes.
- Clinical studies have not definitively shown benefits of Vitamin D supplementation for HF prevention or treatment.
Conclusions:
- Despite strong correlational data, Vitamin D supplementation lacks clear evidence of efficacy in HF.
- Further research through ongoing clinical trials is needed to clarify the role of Vitamin D in HF management.
Aim:
The aim of this review was to summarize evidence on the role of Vitamin D deficiency in heart failure (HF), from pathophysiological mechanisms to clinical effects of Vitamin D supplementation.
Data Synthesis:
Chronic HF secondary to left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is a growing health problem, still associated with poor clinical outcome. In recent years, experimental and epidemiological evidence focused on the role of Vitamin D in HF. Cross sectional studies demonstrated that prevalence of HF is increased in patients with Vitamin D deficiency or parathyroid hormone (PTH) plasma level increase, whereas longitudinal studies showed enhanced risk of developing new HF in patients with Vitamin D deficiency. In addition, in patients with established HF, low plasma levels of Vitamin D are associated with worsening clinical outcome. Yet, clinical studies did not definitively demonstrate a benefit of Vitamin D supplementation for preventing HF or ameliorating clinical outcome in patients with established HF.
Conclusions:
Despite convincing experimental and epidemiological data, treatment with Vitamin D supplementation did not show clear evidence of benefit for preventing HF or influencing its clinical course. Ongoing clinical studies will hopefully shed lights on the effects of Vitamin D supplementation on clinical endpoints along the spectrum of HF.
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