Abstract
Background: Vitamin D deficiency increases cardio-metabolic risk through different mechanisms: activation of proinflammatory cytokines and mediation of endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, accelerated atherosclerosis, etc. Objectives: To study and analyze the cardiovascular (cardio-metabolic) risk in people with different levels of vitamin D. Methods: Laboratory and questionnaire data from 264 adults, mean age 41.19 years, were analyzed. The studied indicators were compared between people with deficiency and normal vitamin D levels, as well as between persons with normal and excessive BMI. Variation and correlation (Spearman’s coefficient) were used. Results: It was established that vitamin D deficiency is related to some risk factors and cases of CVD. CVDs are significantly more common in people with vitamin D deficiency (15.9%) compared to 7.1% for those with a sufficiency of vitamin D and high blood pressure (36.4% compared to 27.4%). Overweight and obesity were found in 70.5% and 48.6% of those surveyed, respectively. Diabetes is present in 11.8% of people with vitamin D deficiency, compared to 4.3% in people with vitamin D sufficiency. Survey data show that people with vitamin D deficiency have more often followed a diet in the last year (74.1% compared to 55.7%), most often low-calorie (17.0%), followed by protein (Dukan) (8.0%), low-carbohydrate (4.5%), and starvation (4.5%). Diet is a modifiable risk factor in the prevention of CVD, but the “weight cycle” effect increases the risk of developing and maintaining cardio-metabolic risk and diseases. In persons with an excessive BMI, there has been a significantly more frequent change in weight in the last year: 59.4% compared to 30.6% in the control group (p < 0.001). Weight gain was 5.53 kg versus 2.43 kg and was associated with an increased risk of CVD regardless of BMI. Discussion: The study shows that there is an increased cardiovascular risk in people with vitamin D deficiency, which increases if combined with an excessive BMI. Diet and weight variation are important triggers for the occurrence and development of CVD in various BMI and metabolic disorders.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, M.N. and A.A.; software, A.A.; validation, M.N. and A.A.; formal analysis, M.N.; investigation, M.N.; resources, A.A.; data curation, M.N.; writing—original draft preparation, A.A.; writing—review and editing, M.N.; visualization, M.N.; supervision, M.N.; project administration, M.N.; funding acquisition, M.N. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Ethical review and approval were waived for this study due to the reason that all participants signed informed consent for the study protocol and participation in it as volunteers.
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Written informed consent has been obtained from the patients to publish this paper.
Data Availability Statement
Data are contained within the article.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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