Abstract P245: Relationship of Vitamin D Status to Cardiac Valvular Disease in Veterans

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency has reached pandemic proportions and has been closely linked to coronary and peripheral vascular disease. Moreover, vitamin D replacement may play a role in improving ejection fraction with the potential to influence cardiac valvular function. To investigate this relationship further we studied 32 veterans without a diagnosis of coronary artery disease. A retrospective study evaluated veterans with both a 25(OH) D determination and an echocardiogram. The echocardioraphic parameters were identified through chart review. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly “(P< 0.05)” associated with mitral insufficiency, aortic sclerosis and pulmonary hypertension as shown in the table below. Mitral Regurgitation % Vitamin D deficient Absent 23 Present * 56 Aortic Sclerosis % Vitamin D deficient Absent 32 Present * 61 Pulmonary Hypertension % Vitamin D deficient Absent 32 Present * 67 * is P<0.05. To our knowledge, this represents a novel association between vitamin D deficiency, cardiac valvular function and pulmonary Hypertension. The possibility of modulating cardiac valvular structure and function through achieving a vitamin D replete state is an exciting area for future research. Affiliation Mountain Home VA and ETSU Departments of Internal Medicine and Family Medicine.