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Review
. 2013 Nov 1;305(9):R969-77.
doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00322.2013. Epub 2013 Sep 11.

Vitamin D and the heart

David G Gardner  1 , Songcang Chen, Denis J Glenn
Affiliations
Review

Vitamin D and the heart

David G Gardner et al. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. .

Abstract

Vitamin D receptors (VDR) are found in cells throughout the cardiovascular system. A variety of experimental studies indicate that the liganded VDR may play an important role in controlling cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, regulating blood pressure, and suppressing the development of atherosclerosis. Some, but not all, observational studies in humans provide support for these experimental findings, raising the possibility that vitamin D or its analogs might prove useful therapeutically in the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: heart; vitamin D.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
A: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) binds retinoid X receptor (RXR) at the vitamin D receptor element (VDRE) to regulate gene expression. B: vitamin D deficiency and/or VDR gene deletion affects the heart, vasculature, and immune system, which may, in turn, contribute to the development of heart failure, hypertension, and increased atherosclerosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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