The Pathogenesis of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Vitamin D Deficiency

• Published in: Biomedicines Vol. 10; no. 6; p. 1239
• Main Authors: Barsan, Maria, Brata, Anca Monica, Ismaiel, Abdulrahman, Dumitrascu, Dinu Iuliu, Badulescu, Andrei-Vlad, Duse, Traian Adrian, Dascalescu, Stefana, Popa, Stefan Lucian, Grad, Simona, Muresan, Lucian, Maerescu, Carmen Maria, Cismaru, Gabriel, Brata, Vlad Dumitru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 26-05-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: AKT protein; Anticoagulants; Arrhythmia; arrhythmias; Asymptomatic; Atherosclerosis; atrial fibrillation; Blood pressure; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Diabetes; Electrolytes; Fibrillation; Heart; Heart failure; Hypertension; hypovitaminosis; Pathogenesis; Pathophysiology; Phosphorus; Potassium channels (delayed-rectifying); Review; sudden cardiac death; Vitamin D; vitamin D deficiency; Vitamin deficiency
• ISSN: 2227-9059; 2227-9059
• DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061239

The global prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is more than 20%, and the main causes include insufficient intake, reduced absorption, abnormal metabolism, or resistance to its effects. The levels of serum vitamin D appear to influence cardiovascular risk, and the mechanism involved is linked to the transient outward current and the ultrarapid delayed rectifier K+ current densities, activated through the nuclear vitamin D receptor and Akt pathway. A significant number of studies have correlated vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. For this reason, the purpose of this review is to analyze the relation between vitamin D deficiency and the pathogenesis of cardiac arrhythmias. Atrial fibrillation, increased QT interval, and QT dispersion were the most common findings associated with vitamin D deficiency. Due to the heterogeneity among existing studies, further research is necessary to confirm the existing data and to analyze its relationship with other types of arrhythmias.