Vitamin D Therapy and Cardiac Structure and Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Although primarily recommended for improving bone health, treatment with vitamin D recently has been suggested for other conditions, including cardiovascular disease (CVD).^1-3 Multiple lines of evidence suggest a link between vitamin D and CVD, including experimental studies identifying vitamin D receptors in vascular smooth muscle, endothelial cells, and possibly cardiac tissue^1,4 and observational studies, small clinical trials, and meta-analyses suggesting that vitamin D therapy reduces cardiovascular events.^2,3 Convincing data demonstrating that vitamin D therapy improves cardiovascular health, however, are lacking.