Abstract

Background: There are insufficient data on the association between the serum level of vitamin D and the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the CIMT. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 341 patients. The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured with radioimmunoassay, and the CIMT was measured with color Doppler ultrasound. Results: The mean serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 14.88 +/- 14.63 ng/mL in the patients with asignificant carotid artery involvement and 17.02 +/- 13.56 ng/mL in those without a carotid involvement, with the difference between the 2 groups constituting statistical significance (P=0.034). The prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency in those with and without a carotid involvement was 88.6 and 74.4; the rate was significantly higher in the former group (P=0.039). Conclusions: Our study confirmed recent suggestions regarding the association between vitamin D deficiency and the progress of atherosclerosis in carotid arteries as CIMT.