CONGRESS ABSTRACT

Vitamin D is a key regulator of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. Over the past decades, the discovery of vitamin D receptors and conversion enzymes within the cardiovascular system has fueled growing interest in its potential roles beyond bone health. Preclinical studies have suggested that vitamin D might regulate vascular tone and exert antifibrotic and anti-remodeling effects on the myocardium. Furthermore, a deficit of vitamin D has been associated with an increased risk of hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure. These findings have spurred several interventional studies investigating whether vitamin D supplementation could mitigate cardiovascular risk. However, current evidence regarding its cardiovascular benefits remains inconsistent and inconclusive. In this review, we provided a comprehensive overview of the “good,” the “bad,” and the “unknown” aspects of the relationship between vitamin D and cardiovascular disease.