title: Serum vitamin D levels are independently associated with severity of coronary artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low-serum vitamin D levels have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk in the general population. We hypothesized that serum vitamin D levels would be inversely associated with inflammation and with severity of coronary atherosclerosis. We therefore investigated the link between serum vitamin D levels and (1) the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) assessed by the Gensini score and (2) inflammatory parameters, including C-reactive protein and fibrinogen.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and inflammatory markers in 239 patients who underwent coronary angiography. We analyzed the relation between serum levels of 25(OH)D and inflammatory markers and angiographic severity of CAD. The Gensini lesion severity score was used for assessing the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D insufficiency was very common among our study population: 83% of the study population had levels less than 30 ng/mL. The Gensini score was negatively associated with serum vitamin D levels (r = -0.416, P < 0.001), and positively correlated with age (r = 0.209, P = 0.001), blood pressure (r = 0.379, P < 0.001), diabetes (r = 0.335, P < 0.001), hyperlipidemia (r = 0.150, P = 0,021), and C-reactive protein levels (r = 0.214, P = 0,001). After adjustments for traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors, vitamin D (B = -0,345, P < 0,001) remained a significant predictor for the severity of CAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Further studies are warranted to determine whether vitamin D supplementation could prevent progression of CAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey. fatih._akin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ayça
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Köse
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sari
authors.forename: Onur Kadir
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.forename: Cigdem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karakukcu
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arinc
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covic
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.forename: Barş
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Okçün
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanbay
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D002097:C-Reactive Protein