Author(s)

Johanna Lopez^1,2,3*, Adriana Campa¹, Fatma G. Huffman¹, Juan P. Liuzzi¹, Tan Li⁴, Ana H. Martinez³, Serena M. Ferris³, Laura Lantigua³, Ashar Farooqi³, Ammar Rasul³, Steven E. Atlas³, Eduard Tiozzo³, Janet Konefal⁵, Judi M. Woolger⁶, Herbert G. Simoes^3,7, John E. Lewis³

¹Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Florida International University, Miami FL, USA.
²Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL, USA.
³Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami FL, USA.
⁴Department of Biostatistics, Florida International University, Miami FL, USA.
⁵Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami FL, USA.
⁶Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
⁷Catholic University of Brasilia, Taguatinga DF, Brazil.

Vitamin D and its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are currently a topic of investigation. The objective of this study was to explore the association between vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) and a cardiometabolic risk score (CMRS) derived from markers of cardiac autonomic nervous system activity, vascular dynamics, and body composition, using an innovative non-invasive technology. We found that individuals who were vitamin D sufficient ((25(OH)D) ≥ 30 ng/ml, n = 51), compared to those who were vitamin D insufficient (<30 ng/ml, n = 44), had significantly higher heart rate variability (as measured by time and frequency domain variables) and lower photoplethysmography analysis markers and CMRS. These outcomes show that vitamin D insufficient subjects had reduced cardio protective parasympathetic nervous system activity, increased endothelial dysfunction, and hence were at greater cardiometabolic risk, implying vitamin D may play a meaningful role in CVD.

Vitamin D, Cardiometabolic Risk, Autonomic Nervous System, Endothelial Dysfunction

Lopez, J. , Campa, A. , Huffman, F. , Liuzzi, J. , Li, T. , Martinez, A. , Ferris, S. , Lantigua, L. , Farooqi, A. , Rasul, A. , Atlas, S. , Tiozzo, E. , Konefal, J. , Woolger, J. , Simoes, H. and Lewis, J. (2017) Vitamin D Status, Autonomic Nervous System Activity, and Cardiometabolic Risk. Open Journal of Internal Medicine, 7, 37-51. doi: 10.4236/ojim.2017.73004.