Vitamin D Therapy and Cardiovascular Diseases

Vitamin D deficiency affects more than 1 billion people worldwide. Thirty to fifty percent of the U.S population has insufficient levels of vitamin D. Well-known for its major contribution to bone health, vitamin D has attracted the attention of science for its restorative role in cardiovascular diseases and cardiac injury, especially in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Over the past few decades, research on vitamin D and its role in cardiovascular disease has been rapidly expanding, and now the direct association of vitamin D signaling and cardiovascular dysfunction and disease has been clearly recognized. Although a clear mechanism of how the restoration of vitamin D levels benefits cardiovascular health has yet to be identified, a number of clinical studies on vitamin D supplementation have shown its promise as a novel cure for cardiovascular diseases.