Archief Roodbont

Atherosclerosis and Inflammation

Although the association of ESRD and increased CVD risk has been well documented, the effect of elevated PTH levels induced by vitamin D deficiency on CVD risk in the absence of ESRD continues to be under investigation. A recent cross-sectional study evaluated 654 adults between the ages of 55 and 96 years without a history of coronary heart disease, revascularization, or stroke. Results revealed that those with higher concentrations of 25(OH)D had a significantly dose-dependent decrease of the intima-media wall thickness of the carotid artery (P = .036), linking vitamin D deficiency to development of subclinical atherosclerosis.^[20] This finding is supported by research stating that vitamin D deficiency increases systemic inflammation, as confirmed by elevated levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-10.^[4,6,9] In addition, the administration of vitamin D analogues has been shown to downregulate the inflammatory markers and reduce plaque production and instability.^[8,9]