Influence of vitamin D supplementation on plasma lipid profiles: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Lipids Health Dis. 2012 Mar 20:11:42. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-11-42.

Abstract

Observational studies have shown that low serum levels of vitamin D have been associated with an atherogenic lipid profile. However, the intervention studies gave divergent results. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of vitamin D supplementation on blood lipids. A systematic literature search was conducted via MEDLINE, Cochrane library, and EMBASE for randomized controlled clinical trials assessing the effects of vitamin D supplementation on lipids. The mean change in total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) from baseline was treated as a continuous variable. In all, 12 clinical trials consisting of 1346 participants were included in the analysis. The pooled estimate of effect for vitamin D supplementation on LDL-C was 3.23 mg/dl (95% confidence interval, 0.55 to 5.90 mg/dl). No statistically significant effects for vitamin D supplementation were observed for TC, HDL-C and TG (differences in means were 1.52 mg/dl (-1.42 to 4.46 mg/dl), -0.14 mg/dl (-0.99 to 0.71 mg/dl) and -1.92 mg/dl (-7.72 to 3.88 mg/dl) respectively). The lipid modulating effects of vitamin D supplementation should be further investigated though large-scale, randomized trials with adequate doses which can effectively elevated the active form of vitamin D in plasma and with proper population which has hyperlipemia as an inclusion criterion.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis

MeSH terms

  • Dyslipidemias / blood
  • Dyslipidemias / drug therapy*
  • Humans
  • Hypolipidemic Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Hypolipidemic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Lipids / blood*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vitamin D / pharmacokinetics
  • Vitamin D / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Hypolipidemic Agents
  • Lipids
  • Vitamin D