Effect of Vitamin D on Clinical Outcomes of Heart Failure: A Prospective Follow-Up Study in Bangladesh

Heart failure (HF) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, serum vitamin D has emerged as a potential regulator of cardiovascular health. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and clinical parameters in patients’ with heart failure, as well as its influence on clinical outcomes. A prospective, follow-up study on patients of HF at two tertiary cardiac centers of Dhaka, assessing serum vitamin D levels alongside risk factors, clinical characteristics, hospitalization and mortality. Patients were stratified based on vitamin D levels low <20ng/dl) or high (>20ng/dl) to explore potential correlations with serum biomarkers and disease outcome. The mean age in low vitamin D arm (n=48) was 56.37±11.49 vs in high vitamin D arm (n=72) was 54.56±10.11, males consisted of 58.3% & 89.9% in arm A & B. 77.1% vs 77.8% of the patients in low and high vitamin D were non-diabetics, the effect of smoking was significant (p=0.042) within the arms. Serum CRP, BNP, PTH were remarkably higher (p <0.05) in low vitamin D arm moreover, β-blockers and loop diuretics were more frequent (p <0.05). Low serum vitamin D levels exhibited increased hospitalization, hospital stay, adverse effects and mortality (p value<0.001). This study presents a potential association between vitamin D deficiency and corresponding clinical and biochemical profiles in heart failure patients. These findings reinforce the growing hypothesis that vitamin D may play an active role in cardiovascular pathophysiology, potentially influencing disease progression and outcomes.