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. 2015 Jul;29(4):305-11.
doi: 10.1002/jcla.21770. Epub 2014 Aug 17.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level and Aortic Intima-Media Thickness in Patients Without Clinical Manifestation of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Gülhan Yüksel Kalkan  1 , Mustafa Gür  2 , Nermin Yıldız Koyunsever  1 , Taner Şeker  1 , Mehmet Yavuz Gözükara  3 , Hakan Uçar  1 , Onur Kaypaklı  1 , Ahmet Oytun Baykan  1 , Selehattin Akyol  1 , Caner Türkoğlu  1 , Zafer Elbasan  1 , Durmuş Yıldıray Şahin  1 , Murat Çaylı  1
Affiliations

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level and Aortic Intima-Media Thickness in Patients Without Clinical Manifestation of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Gülhan Yüksel Kalkan et al. J Clin Lab Anal. 2015 Jul.

Abstract

Objectives: Existing evidence suggests that impaired vitamin D metabolism contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Aortic intima-media thickness (IMT) is an earlier marker than carotid IMT of preclinical atherosclerosis. However, there is a lack of researches on direct investigation of relevance between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and thoracic aortic IMT. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between thoracic aortic IMT and 25(OH)D.

Methods: We studied 117 patients (mean age: 45.5 ± 8.4 years) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for various indications. Serum 25(OH)D was measured using a direct competitive chemiluminescent immunoassay. The patients were divided into three groups according to the their serum 25(OH)D levels (VitDdeficiency , VitDinsufficient and VitDnormal groups). TEE was performed in all subjects. High sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and other biochemical markers were measured using an automated chemistry analyzer.

Results: Only 24.8% (29 patients) of patients had normal levels of 25(OH)D. The highest aortic IMT values were observed in VitDdeficiency group compared with VitDinsufficient and VitDnormal groups (P < 0.05, for all). Also aortic IMT values of VitDinsufficient group were higher than VitDnormal group (P < 0.05). 25(OH)D was independently associated with hs-CRP (β = -0.442, P < 0.001) and aortic IMT (β = -0.499, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The lower 25(OH)D level was independently associated with higher aortic IMT values. Therefore, hypovitaminosis D may have a role on pathogenesis of subclinical thoracic atherosclerosis.

Keywords: CRP; Vitamin D; echocardiography; intima-media.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The sample measurement of thoracic aortic intima media thickness.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between 25‐Hydroxyvitamin D level and aortic intima media thickness.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Relationship between 25‐Hydroxyvitamin D level and high sensitive C reactive protein.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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