Relationship between vitamin D and coronary artery disease in Egyptian patients

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported conflicting results about the association of vitamin D (VD) level with coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to study the association of VD with atherosclerotic CAD in Egyptian individuals. RESULTS: We prospectively enrolled 188 consecutive CAD patients with a median age of 55(50–62) years; 151(80.3%) were male. All patients were diagnosed by cardiac catheterization and were compared with 131 healthy controls. VD levels were measured in serum samples of all participants. Compared to controls, CAD patients had a significantly lower median VD level, 14.65 (9.25–21.45) versus 42.0 (32.0–53.0) ng/mL, p < 0.001. VD was correlated with the number of diseased coronary arteries and lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, p < 0.001 for each). By multivariate analyses, VD was an independent predictor of CAD [OR 1.22 (95% CI 1.07–1.4), p = 0.003, optimal cut-off value 30 ng/mL (AUC 0.92, sensitivity 81% and specificity 81.4%), p < 0.001], and the number of diseased coronary arteries, p < 0.001, especially three-vessel disease [OR 0.83 (95% CI 0.72–0.95), p = 0.008]. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that low VD should be considered a non-traditional risk factor for CAD in Egyptian individuals. Low VD was correlated with coronary atherosclerosis, especially in patients with multivessel effects. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43044-023-00419-5.