25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Our study included 50 SLE female patients who were classified into 2 groups according to their level of 25 hydroxy-vitamin D as follows: - Group I: 22 patients with vitamin D deficiency (25 hydroxy-vitamin D level < 30 ng/ml). - Group II: 28 patients with vitamin D sufficiency (25 hydroxy-vitamin D level > 30 ng/ml). All patients were subjected to the following: full history taking and thorough clinical examination, body mass index and waist/hip ratio measurements, assessment of disease activity and disease damage by SLAM score and (SLICC/ACR) damage index respectively, routine laboratory investigations, ESR, lipid profile, urine analysis, protein creatinine ratio, ANA and Anti-ds DNA, high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), and 25-Hydroxy-vitamin D serum level. Also investigations for CVS assessment were done in the form of ECG, echocardiography, and carotid artery B-mode ultrasound. Low levels of vitamin D were found to be frequent in our lupus patients (44% had levels <30 ng/ml). Treatment with oral calcium and vitamin D offers an incomplete protection against vitamin D deficiency (96% of patients were on regular calcium supplements and 90% of patients were on regular vitamin D supplements). This indicates that the amount of vitamin D supplementation currently used at our clinics was not adequate enough to maintain normal circulating 25(OH)D levels. An association was found between low levels of vitamin D and more frequent Raynaud’s phenomenon and hypertension in our patients, supporting the relationship between CV risk factors and 25(OH)D in SLE patients.