Vitamin D deficiency and myocardial diseases.
Vitamin D deficiency is common among patients with myocardial diseases because sun-induced vitamin D production in the skin and dietary intake of vitamin D is often insufficient. Knockout mice for the vitamin D receptor develop myocardial hypertrophy and dysfunction. It has also been shown that children with rickets who suffered from severe heart failure could be successfully treated with supplementation of vitamin D plus calcium. In adults, almost all patients with heart failure exhibit reduced 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, which are used to classify the vitamin D status. In prospective studies, vitamin D deficiency was an independent risk factor for mortality, deaths due to heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Several vitamin D effects on the electrophysiology, contractility, and structure of the heart suggest that vitamin D deficiency might be a causal factor for myocardial diseases. Data from interventional trials, however, are rare and urgently needed to elucidate whether vitamin D supplementation is useful for the treatment of myocardial diseases. In our opinion, the current knowledge of the beneficial effects of vitamin D on myocardial and overall health strongly argue for vitamin D supplementation in all vitamin D-deficient patients with or at high risk for myocardial diseases.
Pilz
Stefan
S
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. stefan.pilz@chello.at
Tomaschitz
Andreas
A
Drechsler
Christiane
C
Dekker
Jacqueline M
JM
März
Winfried
W
D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
D014807:Vitamin D; D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2; D002112:Calcifediol