title: Relation of vitamin D status to congestive heart failure and cardiovascular events in dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in cardiac function, and there is increasing evidence that vitamin D deficiency is associated with the development of congestive heart failure (CHF) in people.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Serum vitamin D concentration is lower in dogs with CHF compared with unaffected controls and serum vitamin D concentration is associated with clinical outcome in dogs with CHF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two client-owned dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], a measure of vitamin D status, and CHF in dogs. In the prospective cohort study, we examined whether 25(OH)D serum concentration was associated with clinical outcome in dogs with CHF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean 25(OH)D concentration (100 ± 44 nmol/L) in 31 dogs with CHF was significantly lower than that of 51 unaffected dogs (123 ± 42 nmol/L; P = .023). The mean calculated vitamin D intake per kg of metabolic body weight in dogs with CHF was no different from that of unaffected dogs (1.37 ± 0.90 μg/kg metabolic body weight versus 0.98 ± 0.59 μg/kg body weight, respectively, P = .097). There was a significant association of serum 25(OH)D concentration on time to clinical manifestation of CHF or sudden death (P = .02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that low concentrations of 25(OH)D may be a risk factor for CHF in dogs. Low serum 25(OH)D concentration was associated with poor outcome in dogs with CHF. Strategies to improve vitamin D status in some dogs with CHF may prove beneficial without causing toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Rassnick
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wakshlag
authors.forename: A R M
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gelzer
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Waxman
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Struble
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Refsal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: 25-hydroxyvitamin D3; Canine; Cardiology