title: Vitamin D deficiency is unrelated to type of atrial fibrillation and its complications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D plays an important role in a broad range of organ functions, including the cardiovascular system. Only one study has tested the association between vitamin D deficiency and arrhythmia and it found no association. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between vitamin D deficiency and the type of atrial fibrillation (AF) and complications to AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 258 patients were consecutively included from March 2009 to February 2011. All in- and out-patients in the Department of Cardiology at Hvidovre Hospital were invited to participate, provided they had electrocardiographically documented AF. Patients with dementia or terminal illness were excluded. 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25 OHD) was measured with a chemiluminescence assay (Liaison from DiaSorin, Stillwater, Minnesota, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No association between vitamin D level and type of AF was found. Furthermore, no association between vitamin D deficiency and ischaemic heart disease, stroke or acute myocardial infarction was found. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with low age (p = 0.02) and gender with a higher proportion of females having the optimal level of 25 OHD (p = 0.0005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Other studies have found a beneficial effect of vitamin D on cardiovascular diseases, but we found no association between vitamin D deficiency and the type of AF or complications to AF. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether vitamin D supplementation improves cardiovascular outcomes in patients with AF.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The study has received financial support from several private and one public fund.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The study was approved by the National Ethics Committee (Project-ID: H-C-2009-014).
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hvidovre Hospital.
authors.forename: Faiza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qayyum
authors.forename: Nadia Lander
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Landex
authors.forename: Bue Ross
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Agner
authors.forename: Michella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jøns
authors.forename: Ulrik
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dixen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D