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Crafa A, Cannarella R, Barbagallo F, Leanza C, Palazzolo R, Flores HA, La Vignera S, Condorelli RA, Calogero AE. Mechanisms Suggesting a Relationship between Vitamin D and Erectile Dysfunction: An Overview. Biomolecules 2023; 13:930. [PMID: 37371510 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and erectile dysfunction (ED) heavily burden the male population. The higher prevalence of both conditions in the elderly suggests a possible relationship between the two conditions. In addition, in vitro, animal, and human studies have revealed several mechanisms that may relate VDD to ED. The main mechanism by which vitamin D might exert its action on sexual function appears to be through the regulation of endothelial function. Indeed, VDD correlates with several markers of endothelial function. The action of vitamin D on the endothelium would be exercised both indirectly through its intervention in inflammatory processes and through the production of oxygen free radicals, and directly through the regulation of vascular stiffness, the production of nitric oxide, and the regulation of vessel permeability. Furthermore, the ubiquitous distribution of the vitamin D receptor in the human body means that this hormone can also exert a beneficial effect on erectile function by interfering with those comorbidities significantly associated with ED, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, chronic kidney disease, and hypogonadism. In this review, we thoroughly and carefully presented the evidence and mechanisms that would appear to relate vitamin D levels to erectile function. Furthermore, we have summarized the meta-analytic evidence for and against this association to provide a true representation of this topic. Data published to date suggest that low levels of vitamin D could contribute to worsening erectile function through several mechanisms. Therefore, vitamin D levels should be measured in patients with ED and maintained at adequate levels by specific supplementation in case of deficiency. However, the low quality and heterogeneity of clinical trials evaluating the effects of vitamin D administration on erectile function and ED-associated comorbidities do not allow for a univocal conclusion, and indicate the need for further studies to analyze these aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Crafa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Federica Barbagallo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Claudia Leanza
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Roberto Palazzolo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Hunter Ausley Flores
- Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sandro La Vignera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosita A Condorelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
| | - Aldo E Calogero
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy
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Izzo M, Carrizzo A, Izzo C, Cappello E, Cecere D, Ciccarelli M, Iannece P, Damato A, Vecchione C, Pompeo F. Vitamin D: Not Just Bone Metabolism but a Key Player in Cardiovascular Diseases. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11050452. [PMID: 34070202 PMCID: PMC8158519 DOI: 10.3390/life11050452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D is the first item of drug expenditure for the treatment of osteoporosis. Its deficiency is a condition that affects not only older individuals but also young people. Recently, the scientific community has focused its attention on the possible role of vitamin D in the development of several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This review aims to highlight the possible role of vitamin D in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In particular, here we examine (1) the role of vitamin D in diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and obesity, and its influence on insulin secretion; (2) its role in atherosclerosis, in which chronic vitamin D deficiency, lower than 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L), has emerged among the new risk factors; (3) the role of vitamin D in essential hypertension, in which low plasma levels of vitamin D have been associated with both an increase in the prevalence of hypertension and diastolic hypertension; (4) the role of vitamin D in peripheral arteriopathies and aneurysmal pathology, reporting that patients with peripheral artery diseases had lower vitamin D values than non-suffering PAD controls; (5) the genetic and epigenetic role of vitamin D, highlighting its transcriptional regulation capacity; and (6) the role of vitamin D in cardiac remodeling and disease. Despite the many observational studies and meta-analyses supporting the critical role of vitamin D in cardiovascular physiopathology, clinical trials designed to evaluate the specific role of vitamin D in cardiovascular disease are scarce. The characterization of the importance of vitamin D as a marker of pathology should represent a future research challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Izzo
- Department of Mathematics for Technology, Medicine and Biosciences Research Center, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Specialist Medical Center-Via Cimitile, 80035 Nola, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Albino Carrizzo
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (A.C.); (E.C.); (D.C.); (A.D.); (C.V.); (F.P.)
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (C.I.); (M.C.); (P.I.)
| | - Carmine Izzo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (C.I.); (M.C.); (P.I.)
| | - Enrico Cappello
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (A.C.); (E.C.); (D.C.); (A.D.); (C.V.); (F.P.)
| | - Domenico Cecere
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (A.C.); (E.C.); (D.C.); (A.D.); (C.V.); (F.P.)
| | - Michele Ciccarelli
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (C.I.); (M.C.); (P.I.)
| | - Patrizia Iannece
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (C.I.); (M.C.); (P.I.)
| | - Antonio Damato
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (A.C.); (E.C.); (D.C.); (A.D.); (C.V.); (F.P.)
| | - Carmine Vecchione
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (A.C.); (E.C.); (D.C.); (A.D.); (C.V.); (F.P.)
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; (C.I.); (M.C.); (P.I.)
| | - Francesco Pompeo
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy; (A.C.); (E.C.); (D.C.); (A.D.); (C.V.); (F.P.)
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Vitamin D as A Protector of Arterial Health: Potential Role in Peripheral Arterial Disease Formation. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20194907. [PMID: 31623356 PMCID: PMC6801787 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerotic occlusive diseases and aneurysms that affect large and medium-sized arteries outside the cardiac and cerebral circulation are collectively known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD). With a rise in the rate of aging population worldwide, the number of people diagnosed with PAD is rapidly increasing. The micronutrient vitamin D is an important steroid hormone that acts on many crucial cellular mechanisms. Experimental studies suggest that optimal levels of vitamin D have beneficial effects on the heart and blood vessels; however, high vitamin D concentrations have been implicated in promoting vascular calcification and arterial stiffness. Observations from various clinical studies shows that deficiency of vitamin D has been associated with a greater risk of PAD. Epidemiological studies have often reported an inverse relation between circulating vitamin D status measured in terms of 25-hydroxivitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and increased cardiovascular disease risk; however, randomized controlled trials did not show a consistent positive effect of vitamin D supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk or events. Even though PAD shares all the major risk factors with cardiovascular diseases, the effect of vitamin D deficiency in PAD is not clear. Current evidence suggests a strong role of vitamin D in promoting genomic and epigenomic changes. This review summarises the current literature that supports the notion that vitamin D deficiency may promote PAD formation. A better understanding of underlying pathological mechanisms will open up new therapeutic possibilities which is the main unmet need in PAD management. Furthermore, epigenetic evidence shows that a more holistic approach towards PAD prevention that incorporates a healthy lifestyle, adequate exercise and optimal nutrition may be more effective in protecting the genome and maintaining a healthy vasculature.
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Oh SH, Kweon SS, Choi JS, Rhee JA, Lee YH, Nam HS, Jeong SK, Park KS, Ryu SY, Choi SW, Shin MH. Association between Vitamin D Status and Risk of Peripheral Arterial Disease: The Dong-gu Study. Chonnam Med J 2016; 52:212-6. [PMID: 27689032 PMCID: PMC5040771 DOI: 10.4068/cmj.2016.52.3.212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. However, few studies have evaluated the association between vitamin D status and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We therefore aimed to investigate whether low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were associated with increased risk of PAD in the Korean population. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 8,960 subjects aged 50 years or older without known myocardial infarction or stroke. PAD was defined by an ankle brachial blood pressure index <0.9. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between serum 25(OH)D levels and risk of PAD. Of the 8,960 subjects, 3.0% had PAD and the age and sex adjusted prevalence of PAD decreased with the increasing 25(OH)D quartile. After adjusting for potential confounders and parathyroid hormones, serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with a significantly decreased risk of PAD (OR for one SD increase, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.95-1.0, P for trend=0.040). Compared with the first 25(OH)D quartile, the odds of PAD were 0.86 (95% CI, 0.62-1.21), 0.67 (95% CI, 0.46-0.97), and 0.71 (95% CI, 0.49-1.04) for the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively. In this cross-sectional study, we found that low serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with an increased risk of PAD, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and parathyroid hormone. Our findings suggest that low vitamin D levels may contribute to PAD in the Korean population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Hyun Oh
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Sun-Seog Kweon
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.; Jeonnam Regional Cancer Center, Chonnam National University, Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Korea
| | - Jin-Su Choi
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Jung-Ae Rhee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Young-Hoon Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine & Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Wonkwang University College of Medicine, Iksan, Korea
| | - Hae-Sung Nam
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Chungnam National University Medical School, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Seul-Ki Jeong
- Department of Neurology & Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Kyeong-Soo Park
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Seonam University College of Medicine, Namwon, Korea
| | - So-Yeon Ryu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Seong-Woo Choi
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Chosun University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Min-Ho Shin
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
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