Abstract        Background: Recent evidence supports an association between vitamin D deficiency and hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, and heart failure. Materials and Methods: 100 consecutive cases of acute myocardial infarction and angina pectoris were included in this study. Another 100 otherwise age and sex matched healthy individuals formed the control group. The study was a prospective observational study. Observations: There was not much difference between the two groups as per the age and sex. 56 patients were obese while 38 were in the control group. Physical activity was slightly more in control group as 12 in patient group and 24 in control group were optimally active. 74% cases were smokers as against 46% in the asymptomatic group. There was no difference in alcohol consumption amongst the groups. Diabetes mellitus was more prevalent in study group (48 vs 22). 75% of patient group did record low Vitamin D levels, while 45% of the control individuals showed lower than 30 ng/ml. Without adjustment, the chance of being affected by coronary artery disease in individuals with vitamin D deficiency is 4.12 (1.64-8.04) times in comparison with those with normal vitamin D and after adjustment with risk factors, i.e., blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, physical activity and high blood cholesterol, this chance becomes 6.08 times (1.76-18.83). Discussion: The results of our study demonstrate that vitamin D deficiency increases the chance of coronary artery disease due to ischemic heart disease and the association between ischemic heart disease and vitamin D deficiency remains significant even after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, smoking, obesity, physical activity, high blood cholesterol.

Keywords: Vitamin D deficiency, Coronary artery disease.