Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
Volume 23, Issue 8, Pages 674-681Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2012.07.001
Keywords
Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular disease; Peripheral arterial disease; Vitamin D
Categories
Funding
- Novo Nordisk
- Novartis
- Miro
- Sanofi-Aventis
- Pfizer
- Wyeth
- Bayer
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Vitamin D has received increasing interest for its beneficial effect on health. Beyond its conventional role in bone metabolism, emerging evidence suggests a possible link between low vitamin D levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD), including peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and cardiovascular risk factors. Vitamin D interacts either directly with the vascular tree or indirectly through its association with cardiovascular risk factors, but the exact mechanism remains controversial. This review outlines the association between hypovitaminosis D and PAD. Both entities are quite prevalent in the general population and, therefore, their potential association might have important clinical implications. Whether vitamin D deficiency represents a novel risk factor for PAD/CVD, and whether vitamin D supplementation would reduce the burden of CVD still remains to be answered. Until then, vitamin D intake is not recommended for PAD/CVD prevention. Outdoor physical activity, coupled with adequate but safe sun exposure, is a healthy lifestyle practice suggested for the prevention of both PAD and hypovitaminosis D. (C) 2012 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.
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