title: Vitamin D and cardiovascular disease: From atherosclerosis to myocardial infarction and stroke.
abstract: There continues to be interest in understanding the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis, epidemiology and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In fact vitamin D deficiency has been associated to an increased risk of developing CVD given to the relationship between low vitamin D levels and obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. However, although vitamin D has been identified as a potentially important marker of CVD, the mechanisms through which vitamin D deficiency leads from endothelial dysfunction to myocardial infarction and stroke are not fully understood. Thus, the goal of this review is to provide an updated review of the literature on the basic science of how vitamin D may affect the cardiovascular system and in particular to analyze the role that vitamin D may have in the whole dynamic process from the initiation of endothelial dysfunction to the development of myocardial infarction and stroke.
authors.affiliation: IOS and Coleman Medicina Futura Medical Center, Italy. Electronic address: giovanna.muscogiuri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muscogiuri
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Angers University Hospital, Angers, France; University Memory Clinic, UPRES EA 4638, University of Angers, UNAM, Angers, France; Robarts Research Institute, Department of Medical Biophysics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Cedric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Annweiler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Angers University Hospital, Angers, France.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Spyridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karras
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Umberto I Hospital, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tirabassi
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Umberto I Hospital, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianmaria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salvio
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Umberto I Hospital, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balercia
authors.affiliation: Pure North S'Energy Foundation, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimball
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotsa
authors.affiliation: Comando Brigata alpina "Julia"/Multinational Land Force, Medical Service, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mascitelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Endocrinology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Harjit Pal
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Bhattoa
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Environment; Lifestyle; Myocardial infarction; Stroke; Vitamin D