title: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with coronary artery calcification in cardiovascularly asymptomatic African Americans with HIV infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with HIV infection are at increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), and growing evidence suggests a possible link between vitamin D deficiency and clinical/subclinical CAD. However, the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and coronary artery calcification (CAC), a sensitive marker for subclinical CAD, in those with HIV infection is not well investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  CAC was quantified using a Siemens Cardiac 64 scanner, and vitamin D levels and the presence of traditional and novel risk factors for CAD were obtained in 846 HIV-infected African American (AA) participants aged 25 years or older in Baltimore, MD, USA without symptoms or clinical evidence of CAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxy vitamin D <10 ng/mL) was 18.7%. CAC was present in 238 (28.1%) of the 846 participants. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the following factors were independently associated with CAC: age (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.14); male sex (adjusted OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.18-2.49); family history of CAD (adjusted OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.05-2.23); total cholesterol (adjusted OR: 1.006; 95% CI: 1.002-1.010); high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (adjusted OR: 0.989; 95% CI: 0.979-0.999); years of cocaine use (adjusted OR: 1.02; 95% CI: 1.001-1.04); duration of exposure to protease inhibitors (adjusted OR: 1.004; 95% CI: 1.001-1.007); and vitamin D deficiency (adjusted OR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.31-3.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both vitamin D deficiency and CAC are prevalent in AAs with HIV infection. In order to reduce the risk for CAD in HIV-infected AAs, vitamin D levels should be closely monitored. These data also suggest that clinical trials should be conducted to examine whether vitamin D supplementations reduce the risk of CAD in this AA population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. slai@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Shenghan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Elliot K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerstenblith
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brinker
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Shaoguang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Detrick
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: African Americans; HIV infection; antiretroviral therapy; coronary artery calcification; vitamin D deficiency