Low serum vitamin D levels increase the mortality of cardiovascular disease in older adults: A dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies

Lower circulating vitamin D is common in older adults and may be a potential reversible risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults, however, presented controversial results. Database was searched update to February 2018. Key data were extracted from eligible studies. Dose–response meta-analysis were conducted for synthesizing data from eligible studies. A total of 13 eligible studies involving 21,079 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Person with lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D status (25 (OH)D level <50 nmol/L) appeared to have higher mortality of CVD in older adults (RR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.24–1.91). Furthermore, a significantly higher mortality of CVD in older adults was observed for the deficient (<25 nmol/L; RR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.15–1.81) and insufficient (25–50 nmol/L; RR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.04–1.27) categories of 25 (OH)D, compared to the reference category of >75 nmol/L. Additionally, decrease of 10 nmol/L 25-hydroxyvitamin D was associated with a 7% incremental in the risk of CVD mortality in older adults. Considering these promising results, circulating vitamin D is associated with CVD mortality increment in older adults.