Vitamin-D and associated biomarker profiles in patients with chronic heart failure

Abstract

Objectives: Vitamin-D deficiency is common in chronic heart failure (CHF) and may be linked to disturbances in mineral metabolism and cardiovascular biomarkers. This study investigated the association between Vitamin-D status and biochemical and cardiovascular markers across different CHF stages.

Methodology: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted between 2023 to 2024 at three tertiary care centers in Baku, Azerbaijan (Republican Clinical Center, Sabunchu Clinical Center, and 1st Clinical Medical Center). The study included 219 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), classified according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification: 123 patients in class I–II and 96 patients in class III–IV. Serum Vitamin-D, mineral parameters, and cardiovascular biomarkers: BNP, NT-proBNP, galectin-3, parathormone (PTH), endothelin-1, fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) were measured. Correlation analyses were performed to assess relationships between Vitamin-D levels and these markers.

Results: Vitamin-D levels decreased with worsening NYHA class. Advanced CHF was associated with mineral metabolism disturbances and increased myocardial, neurohumoral, and vascular biomarkers. Significant inverse correlations were observed between Vitamin-D concentrations and BNP, NT-proBNP, galectin-3, and FGF-23, highlighting interconnected changes among these markers in CHF progression.

Conclusion: Lower Vitamin-D levels are associated with greater functional severity of CHF and unfavorable biomarker profiles, suggesting that worsening Vitamin-D deficiency may be involved in disease progression and clinical deterioration.