Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D receptors have a broad tissue distribution that includes vascular smooth muscle, endothelium, and cardiomyocytes. A growing body of evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency may adversely affect the cardiovascular system, but data from longitudinal studies are lacking. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 1739 Framingham Offspring Study participants (mean age 59 years; 55% women; all white) without prior cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D status was assessed by measuring 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D) levels. Prespecified thresholds were used to characterize varying degrees of 25-OH D deficiency ( or = 15 ng/mL. This effect was evident in participants with hypertension (hazard ratio 2.13,…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Agriculture

  Award: 58-1950-4-401
• AH
  American Heart Association
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: and K24, AG14759, NO1-HC-25195