Vitamin D status is not related to development of atrial fibrillation in the community

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common and is an important cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Vitamin D is an emerging risk factor in cardiovascular disease, and vitamin D status is modifiable. Thus, we sought to investigate whether vitamin D status predisposed to the development of AF in a community-based sample. Methods We evaluated the relation between vitamin D status and development of AF in 2,930 participants of the Framingham Heart Study, Massachusetts, USA, without prevalent AF. The mean age was 65 +/- 11 years, and 56% were women. Vitamin D status was assessed by measuring 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH] D) concentrations. Multivariable Cox regression models were adjusted for AF risk factors and season. Results During a mean follow-up of 9.9 years, 425 participants (15%) developed AF. In Cox proportional hazards models, 25(OH) D was not associated with development of AF, with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of 0.99 per SD increment in 25(OH) D levels (95% CI 0.88-1.10, P = .81). Also, no relation was found in models including 25(OH) D as a dichotomous variable (above and below the cohort-specific 20th percentile; P = .59). Conclusion In our community-based sample, vitamin D status was not related to incident AF. Our data suggest that vitamin D deficiency does not promote the development of AF in the ambulatory setting. (Am Heart J 2011;162:538-41.)