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Vitamin D3 supplementation does not modify cardiovascular risk profile of adults with inadequate vitamin D status

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Abstract

Purpose

The Nutrition Societies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland recommend a daily intake of 20 µg vitamin D3 for adults when endogenous synthesis is absent. The current study aimed to elucidate whether this vitamin D3 dose impacts cardiovascular risk markers of adults during the winter months.

Methods

The study was conducted in Halle (Saale), Germany (51o northern latitude) as a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomised trial (from January to April). A total of 105 apparently healthy subjects (male and female, 20–71 years old) were included. Subjects were randomly allocated to two groups. One group received a daily 20-µg vitamin D3 dose (n = 54), and the other group received a placebo (n = 51) for 12 weeks. Outcome measures included blood pressure, heart rate, concentrations of renin, aldosterone, serum lipids and vascular calcification markers, and haematologic variables such as pro-inflammatory monocytes.

Results

Blood pressure and systemic cardiovascular risk markers remained unchanged by vitamin D3 supplementation, although serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 increased from 38 ± 14 to 73 ± 16 nmol/L at week 12. The placebo and vitamin D groups did not differ in their final cardiovascular risk profile.

Conclusion

Daily supplementation of 20 µg vitamin D3 during winter is unlikely to change cardiovascular risk profile.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

BMP2:

Bone morphogenetic protein 2

BP:

Blood pressure

CV:

Cardiovascular

COV:

Coefficient of variance

DKK1:

Dickkopf-related protein 1

FACS:

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting

HDL:

High-density lipoprotein

IL-10:

Interleukin 10

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

MCH:

Mean corpuscular haemoglobin

MCHC:

Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration

MCV:

Mean corpuscular volume

MCH:

Major histocompatibility complex

OPG:

Osteoprotegerin

RANKL:

Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand

RCT:

Randomised controlled trial

RPLP0:

Large ribosomal protein

RPP:

Rate pressure product

RUNX2:

Runt-related transcription factor 2

TNFα:

Tumour necrosis factor α

TLR2:

Toll-like receptor 2

VDR:

Vitamin D receptor

25(OH)D:

25-Hydroxyvitamin D

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a Grant from The Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (01EA1323A). We thank B. Heinze and M. Hajri for their excellent technical assistance and record keeping. We thank Dr. B. Ludwig-Kraus and colleagues for determination of differential blood counts at the central laboratory unit of the University Hospital Halle (UKH, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06120 Halle/Saale, Germany).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Internal Medicine II, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst Grube Strasse 40, 06120, Halle/Saale, Germany

      Eric Seibert, Christof Ulrich & Matthias Girndt

    2. Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 2, 06120, Halle/Saale, Germany

      Ulrike Lehmann, Annett Riedel, Frank Hirche, Corinna Brandsch & Gabriele I. Stangl

    3. Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Postbox 7804, 5020, Bergen, Norway

      Jutta Dierkes

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    Eric Seibert and Ulrike Lehmann have contributed equally to this manuscript.

    Matthias Girndt and Gabriele I. Stangl have contributed equally to this manuscript.

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    Seibert, E., Lehmann, U., Riedel, A. et al. Vitamin D3 supplementation does not modify cardiovascular risk profile of adults with inadequate vitamin D status. Eur J Nutr 56, 621–634 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-1106-8

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