Correlation between serum vitamin D level and cardiac function: Echocardiographic assessment

BackgroundThe association between vitamin D and cardiovascular-diseases especially cardiac function is widely debated.Aim of workTo study the relation between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels and parameters of cardiac systolic and diastolic functions in patients with LV systolic heart failure.Patients and methodsThe study included 60 patients admitted to our hospital for management of symptomatic heart failure with systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction <40%). Venous samples were taken to measure serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D. Trans-thoracic echocardiography was done for all patients and parameters of systolic and diastolic functions were taken.ResultsCompared to patients with vitamin D ⩾20 ng/ml, patients with vitamin D level <20 ng/ml had significantly higher average e′, significantly shorter isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT), and significantly lower E/e′, which is suggestive of a better diastolic function. While, also compared to patients with vitamin D ⩾20 ng/ml, patients with vitamin D level <20 ng/ml had higher end systolic volume (ESV) (p = 0.05), larger end systolic dimension (ESD) (p = 0.056), higher interventricular septum (IVS) thickness (p < 0.001), higher posterior wall (PW) thickness (p < 0.001), higher mean LV wall thickness (p < 0.001), and higher LV mass (p = 0.05).ConclusionVitamin D exerts biphasic effect on cardiac function according to its serum levels. Reduced vitamin D (<20 ng/ml) appears to be associated with worse systolic functions in terms of end systolic volume and end systolic dimension. Higher vitamin D levels (⩾20 ng/ml), however, seem to be linked to worse LV diastolic functions in terms of lower e′, higher E/e′ and longer IVRT.