title: New insights about vitamin D and cardiovascular disease: a narrative review.
abstract: The worsening worldwide trend toward nutritional insufficiency and the emerging knowledge of the nonhormonal actions of vitamin D and its metabolites have increased interest in the synthesis, metabolism, and action of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke, as well as other cardiovascular-related diseases, such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, atherosclerosis, and endothelial dysfunction. This review discusses the physiology and definition of vitamin D deficiency, evaluates the worldwide prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, and discusses recent evidence for the association between hypovitaminosis D and cardiovascular disease. Few randomized, controlled trials have evaluated the effect of vitamin D replacement on cardiovascular outcomes, and the results have been inconclusive or contradictory. Carefully designed randomized, controlled trials are essential to evaluate the role of vitamin D supplementation in reducing cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. coramcgreevy@rcsi.ie
authors.forename: Cora
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McGreevy
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D