Serum Level of Vitamin D Is Associated with Severity of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Postmenopausal Women

Ewelina Anna Dziedzic; Wiktor Smyk; Izabela Sowińska; Marek Dąbrowski; Piotr Jankowski

doi:10.3390/biology10111139

Serum Level of Vitamin D Is Associated with Severity of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Postmenopausal Women

Biology (Basel). 2021 Nov 5;10(11):1139. doi: 10.3390/biology10111139.

Authors

Ewelina Anna Dziedzic^{1

2}, Wiktor Smyk³, Izabela Sowińska⁴, Marek Dąbrowski⁵, Piotr Jankowski^{2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Medical Faculty, Lazarski University in Warsaw, 02-662 Warsaw, Poland.
² Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatric Cardiology, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland.
³ Liver and Internal Medicine Unit, Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
⁴ Medical Faculty, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
⁵ Department of Cardiology, Bielanski Hospital, 01-809 Warsaw, Poland.
⁶ Institute of Cardiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-008 Krakow, Poland.

Abstract

Background: Postmenopausal women experience rapid progression of coronary artery disease. Vitamin D deficiency appears to be a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to analyze the impact of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D) level on the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and its potential cardioprotective effect in postmenopausal women. Material and Methods: The study prospectively recruited 351 women in postmenopausal age undergoing coronary angiography. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis was assessed using the Coronary Artery Surgery Study Score (CASSS). A level of 25(OH)D was measured with electrochemiluminescence. Results: Women with more severe coronary atherosclerosis have significantly lower 25(OH)D serum level (p = 0.0001). Vitamin D (β = -0.02; p = 0.016), hypertension (β = 0.44; p = 0.025), age (β = 0.02; p = 0.003), and history of MI (β = 0.63; p < 0.0001), were shown as CASSS determinants. Age, hyperlipidemia, and history of MI were found to determine the level of vitamin D (all p < 0.05). Women with a three-vessel disease hospitalized due to ACS, with a history of MI, hyperlipidemia and hypertension presented the lowest vitamin D level. Conclusions: Our study showed that lower serum 25(OH)D in postmenopausal women is associated with more significant stenosis in the coronary arteries. Therefore, we suggest considering low vitamin D level as a potential risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Keywords: 25(OH)D; Coronary Artery Surgery Study; atherosclerosis; coronary artery disease; estrogen deficiency; modifiable CAD risk factors; myocardial infarction.