Vitamin D deficiency and associated parameters among Cardiovascular Patients in a Tertiary Care Institution of Southern Rajasthan

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are major public health problem and leading cause of mortality. A check on each modifiable risk factor will be advantageous. Micronutrient such as vitamin D deficiency can be one such factor, since it is well known that vitamin D affects all systems of the body including cardiovascular. Objectives: 1. To estimate vitamin D deficiency among patients with cardiovascular illnesses. 2. To determine the association between vitamin D deficiency and socio-demographic parameters, as well as selected laboratory parameters like lipid profile, random blood sugar, complete blood count in heart patients. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted over a period of one year, among 250 patients admitted at cardiology ward of MB Government Hospital, Udaipur whose socio-demographic profile, laboratory investigations like vitamin D, lipid profile, random blood sugar, CBC; were observed and reports were entered in codebook. Data was analyzed using MS Excel, OpenEpi v 3.01. Results: In the study 174 males and 76 females were included. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 92% of cardiovascular patients.Vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with female gender (p value=0.01), urban residency(p value= 0.0005), socio-economic status (p value= 0.004) and semi-vegetarian diet (p value < 0.01).Most common symptom was tiredness (34%); most common coexisting non-communicable disease was hypertension (74.8%) and most common past infection was COVID-19 (9.2%). Participants with vitamin D deficiency had increased BMI, increased random blood sugar, decreased haemoglobin and more incline towards dyslipidemia. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was present in significantly large proportion of cardiovascular patients. Females, urban residents and individuals with vegetarian diet and increased BMI are at more risk. Frequent evaluations including lipid profile, blood sugar, CBC should be encouraged.