• Eleni Armeni, Panagiotis Bakas, Irene Lambrinoudaki, and Michail Apostolakis.
• Menopause Clinic, 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
• Maturitas. 2018 Sep 1; 115: 1-22.

AbstractVitamin D, a soluble steroid hormone synthesized in the skin after sun exposure, plays a crucial role in calcium metabolism and is also involved in cardiovascular pathophysiology. The aim of this review is to summarize the available evidence (a) on the association between endogenous vitamin D status and cardiovascular disease, and (b) on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on cardiovascular outcomes. Most studies have shown an inverse association between vitamin D levels and cardiovascular outcomes. Randomized controlled trials, however, do not consistently support a beneficial effect of vitamin D administration on cardiovascular health. Population characteristics, comorbid conditions such as diabetes, the overall population prevalence of cardiovascular disease, vitamin D status and the regimen of vitamin D supplementation may account for the conflicting results.Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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