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Background: Primary hypertension (HT) has a high mortality rate due to its atherosclerotic complications. Vitamin D (VD) defciency has been reported to increase the development of non-dipper HT (ND-HT) and atherosclerosis, but there are also conficting results. To our knowledge, there is no study investigating the relationship between VD and carotid artery intima–media thickness (C-IMT) in patients with HT. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between VD levels, ND-HT development, and C-IMT in patients with HT with no known cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Methods: This study was conducted in 60 (63% female) patients with HT. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed using a portable digital recording device. C-IMT was measured using B-mode ultrasonography. Vitamin D levels were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Those with C-IMT ≥0.750 mm were assumed to have subclinical atherosclerosis, and serum 25-(OH) D3 (VD) levels <20 ng/mL were VD defcient.
Results: There was a signifcant negative linear relationship between VD levels and triglycerides (TG) and smoking, and a signifcant positive linear relationship between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Triglyceride levels were signifcantly (P = .015) higher in patients who were VD defcient compared to those who were VD suficient. Patients with subclinical atherosclerosis were older (P = .002) than those without. Only patient age was positively associated with C-IMT (P < .001). There was no relationship between VD levels/VD defciency and the presence of ND-HT and subclinical atherosclerosis.
Conclusion: Our fndings suggest that VD defciency does not facilitate the development of ND-HT and subclinical atherosclerosis.
Cite this article as: Bulut E, Üstündağ A, Karabulut D, Alkan A, Süt N. Does serum 25-OH vitamin D afect the development of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with primary hypertension?Turk J Nephrol. 2024;33(4):349-357.