Issue Archive

Cardiovascular benefits of vitamin D

Jinghui Dong, Chi Wai Lau, Siu Ling Wong, Yu Huang^*

香港中文大学心脑血管医学研究所，李嘉诚健康科学研究所及深圳研究院，香港

Abstract

Vitamin D is essential for maintaining calcium and phosphate homeostasis, and vitamin D analogues have been prescribed to treat osteoporosis and hyperparathyroidism. Emerging evidence suggests that cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases are closely associated with vitamin D deficiency resulting from either decreased sunshine exposure or inadequate intake. Vitamin D is through stimulating vitamin D receptor to form a transcriptional complex with cofactors to modulate approximately 3% gene transcription. For example, renin, matrix metalloprotease, and tumor necrosis factor-α are regulated by vitamin D. Both experimental and clinical studies support the health benefits of vitamin D in the cardiovascular system, and such benefits include protecting cardiac function, lowering blood pressure, improving endothelial function, inhibiting oxidative stress, and reducing the activity of renin-angiotensin system. This article will briefly review the cardiovascular benefits of vitamin D and its bioactive analogues and discuss the novel cellular and molecular mechanisms accounting for cardiovascular protection.

Key words: vitamin D; vitamin D receptor; renin-angiotensin system; oxidative stress; cardiovascular function

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 黄聿　　E-mail: yu-huang@cuhk.edu.hk

Citing This Article：

Jinghui Dong, Chi Wai Lau, Siu Ling Wong, Yu Huang. Cardiovascular benefits of vitamin D. Acta Physiol Sin 2014; 66 (1): 30-36 (in Chinese with English abstract).