| Abstrak/Abstract |
Background and Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency significantly affects cardiovascular disease risk. Cardiovas- cular disease is epidemic in nature. Because the prevalence of cardiovascular disease has been increasing in chil- dren, it has been changing from an adulthood disease to a childhood disease. Therefore, formulating an effective prevention strategy against cardiovascular disease development in children is crucial. Methods and Study De- sign: From PubMed, we identified and reviewed studies evaluating the association of vitamin D deficiency with cardiovascular disease risk in children. Results: The mechanism through which vitamin D protects against cardi- ovascular disease has yet to be fully elucidated. Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with various risk factors for cardiovascular disease that are already manifested in childhood, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidae- mia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with cardiovascular disease because it promotes vascular stiffness and calcification, leading to atherosclerosis. However, studies in- vestigating the effectiveness of vitamin D in preventing cardiovascular disease risk by using an ideal study design are scant. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency in children may increase cardiovascular disease risk, which tends to manifest in childhood. Because data on the association of vitamin D deficiency with cardiovascular disease risk among children are limited and inconclusive, additional studies are required to investigate this association in chil- dren in general and in a setting with naturally abundant sun exposure. |
