Sahani Sandhya, Boakye Adu Yiadom, Kasi Maherullah, Ahmed Hafsa, Shaikh Naveen, Mansoor Ayesha, Ali Syed Saif, Ashraf Faheem, Kaynat Bushra, Sharif Muhammad Imran, Alam Haider
Emergency Medicine, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Naharlagun, IND.
Medicine, Zaporizhzhia State Medical University, Zaporizhzhia, UKR.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 31;17(7):e89134. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89134. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Background Vitamin D is an essential component of human health, and its effects may be felt outside of musculoskeletal development. Vitamin D deficiency is common among many individuals, including those with adequate sunlight exposure. However, evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to subclinical cardiovascular symptoms (such as mild chest discomfort, palpitations, exertional breathlessness, or fatigue) in otherwise healthy young adults is limited. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between subclinical cardiovascular symptoms and vitamin D deficiency, as well as the influence of demographic and lifestyle factors, in young adults in Pakistan. Methods The research involved a cross-sectional investigation between November 2024 and May 2025 across community centres, outpatient facilities, and universities in both urban and rural areas of Pakistan. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit 402 participants aged 18 to 35 for the study. The data were collected using structured questionnaires that included a demographic profile, the Vitamin D Deficiency Risk Assessment Questionnaire (VDRAQ), and the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI). VDRAQ was used to assess vitamin D deficiency risk based on lifestyle and demographic factors, while DASI was used to evaluate subclinical cardiovascular symptoms by measuring physical functioning. The dependent variable was the vitamin D status, and its relationship with subclinical cardiovascular indicators was determined using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and linear regression via the IBM SPSS 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA). Results Out of 402 participants, 51% were men and 49% were women, with the most significant percentage falling in the age bracket of 24-26 years. There was a significant negative correlation between VDRAQ and DASI (r = -0.271, p < 0.001), indicating that a high risk of vitamin D deficiency was associated with poorer physical functioning. The VDRAQ scores were greater and the DASI scores were lower among females as compared to males (p = 0.050 and p = 0.040, respectively). The regression result ensured that VDRAQ scores were significant in predicting DASI scores (beta = -0.271, p < 0.001). Vitamin D risk levels were also significantly linked to marital status and age. Conclusion This research is crucial in establishing an essential relationship between the risk of vitamin D deficiency and a decline in physical activities, representing a marker of cardiovascular dysfunction at its earliest stages in a group of young adults in Pakistan. These results underscore the importance of screening, raising societal awareness, and promoting behavioural changes to help young people improve their vitamin D status and reduce their long-term cardiovascular risk.
背景 维生素D是人体健康的重要组成部分，其作用可能体现在肌肉骨骼发育之外。维生素D缺乏在许多人当中很常见，包括那些有充足阳光照射的人。然而，将维生素D缺乏与健康的年轻成年人的亚临床心血管症状（如轻度胸部不适、心悸、劳力性呼吸困难或疲劳）联系起来的证据有限。该研究旨在调查巴基斯坦年轻成年人中亚临床心血管症状与维生素D缺乏之间的关系，以及人口统计学和生活方式因素的影响。方法 该研究于2024年11月至2025年5月在巴基斯坦城乡的社区中心、门诊设施和大学进行了横断面调查。采用便利抽样法招募了402名年龄在18至35岁之间的参与者进行研究。使用结构化问卷收集数据，问卷包括人口统计学概况、维生素D缺乏风险评估问卷（VDRAQ）和杜克活动状态指数（DASI）。VDRAQ用于根据生活方式和人口统计学因素评估维生素D缺乏风险，而DASI用于通过测量身体功能来评估亚临床心血管症状。因变量是维生素D状态，通过IBM SPSS 26（美国纽约州阿蒙克市IBM公司）使用描述性统计、t检验、方差分析、Pearson相关性分析和线性回归来确定其与亚临床心血管指标的关系。结果 在402名参与者中，51%为男性，49%为女性，其中最大比例落在24 - 26岁年龄组。VDRAQ与DASI之间存在显著负相关（r = -0.271，p < 0.001），表明维生素D缺乏的高风险与较差的身体功能相关。与男性相比，女性的VDRAQ得分更高，DASI得分更低（分别为p = 0.050和p = 0.040）。回归结果确保VDRAQ得分在预测DASI得分方面具有显著性（β = -0.271，p < 0.001）。维生素D风险水平也与婚姻状况和年龄显著相关。结论 这项研究对于确立维生素D缺乏风险与身体活动下降之间的重要关系至关重要，身体活动下降是巴基斯坦一组年轻成年人心血管功能障碍最早阶段的一个标志。这些结果强调了筛查、提高社会意识以及促进行为改变的重要性，以帮助年轻人改善维生素D状态并降低其长期心血管风险。
