Efficacy of Vitamin D on Chronic Heart Failure Among Adults

Vitamin D deficiency commonly occurs in chronic heart failure. Whether additional vitamin D supplementation can be beneficial to adults with chronic heart failure remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to derive a more precise estimation. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched on September 8, 2016. Seven randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of vitamin D on cardiovascular outcomes in adults with chronic heart failure, and comprised 592 patients, were included in the analysis. Compared to placebo, vitamin D, at doses ranging from 2,000 IU/day to 50,000 IU/week, could not improve left ventricular ejection fraction (Weighted mean difference, WMD = 3.31, 95% confidence interval, CL = -0.93 to 7.55, P < 0.001, I² = 92.1%); it also exerts no beneficial effects on the 6 minute walk distance (WMD = 18.84, 95% CL = -24.85 to 62.52, P = 0.276, I² = 22.4%) and natriuretic peptide (Standardized mean difference, SMD = -0.39, 95% confidence interval CL = -0.48 to 0.69, P < 0.001, I² = 92.4%). However, a dose-response analysis from two studies demonstrated an improved left ventricular ejection fraction with vitamin D at a dose of 4,000 IU/day (WMD = 6.58, 95% confidence interval CL = -4.04 to 9.13, P = 0.134, I² = 55.4%). The results showed that high dose vitamin D treatment could potentially benefit adults with chronic heart failure, but more randomized controlled trials are required to confirm this result.