Background: Recent studies found a relationship between Vitamin D and atherosclerosis. A common genetic polymorphism of the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in small study populations. To assess its influence on the prevalence and severity of CAD we studied a large-scale population.
Methods: A total of 3441 consecutive patients were referred for diagnostic coronary angiography. The BsmI Vitamin D receptor polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. Angiography was used to define phenotypes with clear coronary arteries (n = 775), coronary sclerosis (diameter stenosis < 50%; n = 579), CAD (diameter stenosis > 50% in at least one vessel; n = 1524). Patients with CAD at a young age (females aged less than 65 years, males aged less than 55 years; n = 563) were specially defined as premature CAD. The risk profile of traditional cardiovascular risk factors was obtained for every patient.
Results: The genotype frequencies of the VDR BsmI polymorphism did not differ between all four phenotypes (P = 0.756). The allele frequencies for the B allele were 0.43 vs. 0.44 vs. 0.42 vs. 0.45 in the four phenotypic groups (P = 0.827). All traditional cardiovascular risk factors (hypercholesterolaemia, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, severe obesity, male gender) were significantly (P < 0.001) associated with the angiographic phenotype.
Conclusions: The VDR gene variant BsmI was not associated with prevalence and severity of CAD in a large-scale cohort phenotyped by angiography.