25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Markers of Subclinical Myocardial Damage and Wall Stress: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

BACKGROUND: Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Less known is whether 25(OH)D deficiency contributes to subclinical myocardial damage and wall stress (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T [hs-cTnT] and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]) or whether associations vary among subgroups.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Overall, 11 311 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities participants without prevalent cardiovascular disease had 25(OH)D, hs-cTnT, and NT-proBNP measured at baseline (1990-1992), and 8990 had measurements of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP repeated 6 years later. We examined associations of deficient 25(OH)D (

CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased 6-year change in hs-cTnT levels. Hypothesis-generating differences in associations by age and sex, but not race, were observed. If these associations are causal, further research is needed to understand mechanisms by which low 25(OH)D confers increased risk in these subgroups and whether treating deficient 25(OH)D can prevent myocardial damage and wall stress.