Menu
Back to Journals » Vascular Health and Risk Management » Volume 13
Evaluation of vitamin D levels in relation to coronary CT angiographic findings in an Iranian population
Authors Moradi M, Foroutanfar A
Received 27 May 2017
Accepted for publication 14 July 2017
Published 4 October 2017 Volume 2017:13 Pages 361—367
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S142721
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single-blind
Peer reviewer comments 2
Editor who approved publication: Dr Takashi Kajiya
Maryam Moradi, Ali Foroutanfar
Radiology Department, Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Background: Vitamin D deficiency, as a predisposing factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), is a subject of increasing interest. However, its role as a risk factor has not been proven. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and CAD.
Materials and methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 180 patients who were candidates for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) were selected. Serum levels of vitamin D were measured and compared with the results of CCTA (including calcium score, and presence and severity of coronary artery involvement due to atherosclerotic plaques).
Results: The mean age of the participants was 60.5±10.6 years and the mean serum vitamin D level was 26.2±15.9 ng/dL (range, 3.5–83.2 ng/dL). Overall, 6.1% of the participants (n=11) had vitamin D deficiency, 56.1% (n=101) had insufficient levels of vitamin D, and 37.8% (n=68) had sufficient levels of vitamin D. The mean serum vitamin D level was significantly lower in patients with severe CAD (P=0.004). The serum vitamin D level in the “positive for CAD” group was 20.98 ng/mL, significantly lower than the level in the “negative for CAD” group (30.47 ng/mL; P<0.001). The mean calcium score among participants was 533.5±87.9. Based on the Spearman test, a significant negative correlation (–0.21) was detected between the serum vitamin D level and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) (P=0.005). Conversely, the mean CACS in the vitamin D deficient group was significantly higher than in the insufficient and sufficient vitamin D groups (P<0.001 for both comparisons).
Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was associated with coronary artery calcification and severity of coronary artery stenosis in Iranian patients.
Keywords: coronary artery disease, vitamin D, multidetector computed tomography, atherosclerosis, angiography
This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.
By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.