title: Vitamin D levels predict hospitalization and mortality in patients with heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low levels of vitamin D are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases. Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem globally, occurring with increasing frequency and characterised by poor prognosis despite therapy. We aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D levels on hospitalisation and mortality in patients with HF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with ejection fraction <50% (n = 219) were included in this prospective study. Demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters were obtained at presentation. Patients were classified into Group 1 (vitamin D level ≤50 nmol/L) and Group 2 (vitamin D level >50 nmol/L). Median follow-up time was 12 months. Hospitalisation rates and overall survival were compared between groups. Independent predictors of hospitalisation and mortality were defined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a median follow-up period of 12 months, hospitalisation and overall death occurred more frequently in Group 1 than in Group 2 (23.4% vs 7.3% and 16.1% vs 1.2%, respectively; p < 0.005 for both).Vitamin D was defined as an independent predictor of hospitalisation and mortality.Higher levels were found to be associated with decreased hospitalisation (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.84-0.95, p < 0.001) and mortality (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.92, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with HF, and low vitamin D levels are closely associated with increased hospitalisation and mortality.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey ;
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Belen
authors.affiliation: b Department of Cardiology , Kahramanmaras Necip Fazıl City Hospital , Kahramanmaras , Turkey.
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sungur
authors.affiliation: b Department of Cardiology , Kahramanmaras Necip Fazıl City Hospital , Kahramanmaras , Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Azmi
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sungur
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013997:Time Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: follow-up studies; heart failure; hospitalisation; mortality; prognosis; vitamin D