Vitamin D and ischaemic heart disease.

Vitamin D has been proposed as a risk factor of ischaemic heart disease. In 12 patients with acute myocardial infarction the major circulating vitamin D metabolite, 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol (25-HCC), did not show any fluctuations during the first 4 days after onset of symptoms. The serum 25-HCC level was then measured in 128 patients consecutively admitted because of chest pain, 53 of whom had myocardial infarction and 75 had angina pectoris. The values found did not differ from those measured in 409 normal persons. The seasonal variations of serum 25-HCC were less pronounced in heart patients than in normals, probably due to less sun exposure in the summer months. The levels of serum 25-HCC did not correlate with the concentrations of serum cholesterol, glycerides, calcium or magnesium. Low serum calcium and magnesium were observed in all patients. Serum calcium was further reduced in the course of acute myocardial infarctions while serum parathyroid hormone rose significantly. We conclude that patients with ischaemic heart disease are not ingesting or producing in their skin elevated amount of vitamin D.