Correlation of vitamin D level and severity of coronary artery disease

Introduction and Aim: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease in India is continuously on the rise owing to the socioeconomic changes the country is undergoing. In order to minimise the mortality due to cardiovascular disease, early detection and control of modifiable risk factors is of utmost importance. We evaluated the correlation of vitamin D deficiency, one such possible modifiable risk factor, and the severity of CAD in patients at a hospital in Southern Karnataka. Unfortunately, relevant data regarding vitamin D deficiency in coronary artery disease pertaining to the Indian subcontinent is scarce. Thus, the results of our study can provide further evidence for the potential therapeutic benefit of Vitamin D in patients with cardiovascular risk factors, which in the long run can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality of CAD. Materials and Methods: A case-control study with 142 subjects was conducted in Kasturba Hospital. Based on coronary angiogram findings, cases were categorised as having single, double, triple or multi vessel disease. Vitamin D level was quantified into 3 categories: normal (>30ng/ml), insufficient (20-30ng/ml) and deficient (<20ng/ml). Results: Vitamin D deficiency was statistically significantly and inversely related to the number of vessels involved (multi vessel disease-83.3%, triple vessel disease-80%, double vessel disease-28.6% and single vessel disease-21.7%). The relationship between vitamin D levels and syntax scoring showed a negative correlation (-0.339). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the severity of CAD was correlated to diabetes and vitamin D deficiency with p-value of 0.014. Conclusion: Both our results and those of previous studies suggest that vitamin D could have a potential therapeutic effect in CAD.