title: Vitamin d therapy and cardiovascular health.
abstract: Vitamin D belongs to the family of nuclear steroid hormones, which has pleiotropic effects on several organ systems. Different vitamin D compounds have been studied as potential cardioprotective agents over the past 20 years. The results of these clinical studies vary based on the form and dosage of vitamin D administered during the trial. In the past 5 years, many have described an association of vitamin D compounds and cardiovascular health through reduction in blood pressure, reduction in inflammatory biomarkers, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduction in cardiovascular disease complications and death. Because there are several vitamin D compounds, it is important to consider the full breadth of the literature when examining vitamin D and cardiovascular health, to assist in hypothesis generation and understanding of the current state of the science. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that nutritional vitamin D supplementation and potentially even treatment with synthetic analogues of vitamin D may be cardioprotective, relatively few studies have examined either of these compounds in a randomized, controlled fashion. Studies examining the benefit of vitamin D supplementation are now beginning, but future studies considering calcitriol and analogue therapy also seem warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1665 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, USA. sejudd@uab.edu
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.forename: Vin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tangpricha
mesh_terms: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002319:Cardiovascular System; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D007249:Inflammation; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D014807:Vitamin D