title: The role of vitamin D in dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease.
abstract: Dyslipidemia and vascular calcification are important predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Vitamin D may have an influence on these two CVD risk markers. We performed a systematic review on vitamin D, dyslipidemia, statins, vascular calcification and CVD. The vast majority of intervention studies did not show an effect of vitamin D on serum cholesterol levels. There is however evidence for a triglyceride-lowering effect of vitamin D which primarily comes from studies with chronic kidney disease patients, a group with elevated triglyceride levels. The previously presumed influence of statins on circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and on cellular vitamin D actions remains obscure. Experimental studies on vascular calcification and CVD suggest a biphasic effect of vitamin D with harmful effects at both low and high vitamin D levels. Epidemiological studies on vitamin D and vascular calcification are inconsistent at present, but are probably biased by confounding. Prospective cohort studies consistently indicate an enhanced multivariable-adjusted CVD mortality risk when circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are below 25 nmol/l. Adequately designed randomised controlled trials investigating the dose-response effect of vitamin D on different CVD outcome parameters are now warranted.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Heart Center North Rhine - Westphalia Ruhr University Bochum Georgstraße 11, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. azittermann@hdz-nrw.de
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zittermann
authors.forename: Jan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Gummert
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Börgermann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D