title: Low 25-OH vitamin D levels are not associated with coronary artery calcium or obstructive stenoses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is unclear whether low vitamin D is a significant risk factor for the presence of either calcific atherosclerosis or obstructive coronary artery stenoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we measured the 25-OH vitamin D levels of 1131 consecutive individuals who underwent coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring and coronary computed tomographic angiography at our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  We looked for any association of 25-OH vitamin D levels with CAC scores. We also studied the relation of 25-OH vitamin D levels with the presence of 70% or more obstructive coronary artery stenoses, found initially by coronary computed tomographic angiography and confirmed subsequently by invasive angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 132 (11.7%) 25-OH vitamin D deficient (<20 ng/ml) and 295 (26.1%) 25-OH vitamin D insufficient (21-29 ng/ml) individuals in this study. There was no detectable association between 25-OH vitamin D levels and CAC scores. The median (interquartile range) CAC score of 25-OH vitamin D deficient, insufficient, and adequate patients was 451 (80-1083), 338 (52-830), and 450 (100-1062), respectively. Also, no relation was noted between 25-OH vitamin D levels and the presence of severely obstructive coronary artery disease. The frequency of severe coronary artery disease in 25-OH vitamin D deficient, insufficient, and adequate patients was 3.8, 2.0, and 4.0%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low 25-OH vitamin D levels were not associated with CAC or severely obstructive stenoses.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Cardiovascular Imaging, Cooper Clinic bDepartment of Epidemiology and Statistics, The Cooper Institute, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cannaday
authors.forename: Carolyn E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.forename: Dale B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.forename: Wendy A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Wade
authors.forename: Joe R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D