Vitamin D Deficiency and Heart Health: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency has developed into a global issue, impacting an estimated one billion people worldwide. Lack of sunlight exposure is the major cause of vitamin D deficiency, as very few foods contain natural vitamin D. Several epidemiological and random clinical trials have reported a close association between low vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease development. This paper aims to discuss vitamin D deficiency and its role in developing cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble vitamin which plays an important role in skeletal maturation. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent globally and is linked to a spectrum of cardiovascular disorders and is thought to promote atherogenesis. We have done a thorough review of the literature using a Pubmed search. Different keywords like vitamin D deficiency, cardiovascular diseases, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, heart failure were used to write the review. Here we report according to current evidence, vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, further study is necessary to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular outcomes. Keywords: Vitamin D deficiency, Cardiovascular diseases, Cholecalciferol, Coronary heart disease, Heart failure