{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T00:43:56Z","timestamp":1759970636925,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,28]],"date-time":"2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738022400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Piersilverio Nassimbeni Foundation"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Subclinical carotid artery disease anticipates major cardiovascular events, and previous studies show that low vitamin D levels are associated with arterial stiffening in hypertension. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels with subclinical carotid disease in hypertensive patients. In 223 middle-aged, nondiabetic, primary hypertensive patients free of major cardiovascular and renal complications, we measured 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) and assessed subclinical carotid arteries changes by B-mode ultrasonography. The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and presence of plaques were assessed together with measurements of indexes of carotid artery distensibility (coefficient of distensibility) or stiffening (Young\u2019s elastic modulus; \u03b2-stiffness). Lower 25(OH)D levels were associated with older age (p &lt; 0.001), longer duration of hypertension (p = 0.019), higher fasting plasma glucose (p = 0.037), and insulin (p = 0.044), Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA) index (p = 0.044), and PTH (p &lt; 0.001). Insufficient and deficient 25(OH)D were associated with progressively greater carotid IMT (p &lt; 0.001), frequency of carotid plaques (p = 0.026), Young\u2019s elastic modulus (p = 0.002), and \u03b2-stiffness (p &lt; 0.001), and progressively lower carotid coefficient of distensibility (p &lt; 0.001). Serum levels of 25(OH)D were negatively correlated with age (p &lt; 0.001), duration of hypertension (p = 0.006), fasting glucose (p &lt; 0.001), HOMA index (p = 0.032), PTH (p &lt; 0.001), carotid IMT (p &lt; 0.001), Young\u2019s elastic modulus (p = 0.025), and \u03b2-stiffness (p &lt; 0.001), and positively related with carotid coefficient of distensibility (p &lt; 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that both higher carotid IMT (p = 0.004) and lower coefficient of distensibility (p = 0.002) were related to lower 25(OH)D independent of age, severity, and duration of hypertension and metabolic variables. In conclusion, deficiency\/insufficiency of 25(OH)D independently predicts subclinical carotid disease in uncomplicated, middle-aged, hypertensive patients and might predispose these patients to major cardiovascular complications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17030480","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T03:26:10Z","timestamp":1738121170000},"page":"480","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Subclinical Carotid Disease Is Associated with Low Serum Vitamin D in Nondiabetic Middle-Aged Hypertensive Patients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1657-4888","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luca","family":"Bulfone","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Hypertension European Excellence Center, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0051-7723","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio","family":"Vacca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Hypertension European Excellence Center, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gabriele","family":"Brosolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Hypertension European Excellence Center, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9995-0169","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Da Porto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Diabetes Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nicole","family":"Bertin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Thrombosis and Hemostasis Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cinzia","family":"Vivarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cristiana","family":"Catena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Hypertension European Excellence Center, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6242-0209","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonardo A.","family":"Sechi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinica Medica, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Hypertension European Excellence Center, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Diabetes Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"},{"name":"Thrombosis and Hemostasis Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"GBD 2019 Risk factors Collaborators (2020). 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