Vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular pathology

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread worldwide and present in about 30-50% of population. In most cases, this problem is associated with musculoskeletal system pathology: rickets in children, and osteomalacia or osteoporosis in adults. However, in recent years, convincing data was obtained on the links between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular pathology. Low Vitamin D levels in humans are associated with the unfavorable cardiovascular risk factors, such as arterial hypertension (AH), diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia, which are the predictors of the severe cardiovascular diseases, including strokes and infarctions. It has been demonstrated that vitamin D has a strong vasoptotective effect via endothelial dysfunction improvement, prevents blood vessels and myocardium remodeling, improves blood pressure parameters, reduces the risk of development of left ventricular hypertrophy, slows down fibrosis, reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, reduces insulin resistance, and also affects inflammation and immunity. This article provides data of Russian and foreign studies demonstrating the effect of Vitamin D deficiency on the development of atherosclerosis, AH, heart rhythm disorder and progression of chronic heart failure.