title: Vitamin D status and changes in cardiovascular risk factors: a prospective study of a general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A low vitamin D level has been associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk but possible mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the association between vitamin D levels and 5-year changes in blood pressure, lipid profile and incidence of the metabolic syndrome, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 6,784 individuals aged 30-60 years from a general population was investigated in the Inter99 study in 1999-2001. Vitamin D (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D) was measured at baseline by high-performance liquid chromatography, and 4,330 individuals participated at the 5-year follow-up and were included in the present study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median baseline vitamin D concentration was 48.0 nmol/l. In multivariable linear regression analyses, a 10 nmol/l higher baseline level of vitamin D was associated with a decrease in triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol by 0.52 (p = 0.03) and 0.66% (p = 0.005), respectively. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, the odds ratios per 10 nmol/l higher baseline vitamin D level were 0.95 (p < 0.05) and 0.94 (p = 0.01) for the development of the metabolic syndrome and hypercholesterolemia, respectively. There was no association between vitamin D and blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An optimal vitamin D status may influence cardiovascular health by changing the lipid profile in a favorable direction and decreasing the incidence of the metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Prevention and Health, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark. tea.skaaby.01@regionh.dk
authors.forename: Tea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skaaby
authors.forename: Lise Lotte Nystrup
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Husemoen
authors.forename: Charlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pisinger
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: Betina Heinsbæk
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Thuesen
authors.forename: Mogens
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenger
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linneberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015994:Incidence; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014807:Vitamin D