The relationship between vitamin D levels and saphenous vein graft patency

OBJECTIVEA growing body of evidence supports an association between vitamin D and cardiovascular diseases. Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery is a treatment modality for suitable patients with coronary artery disease; however, patency rates of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) are low. In this study we aimed to determine the association between vitamin D levels and the SVG disease. METHODSThe study population included 180 patients who had undergone a primary coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with at least one SVG and later had a control angiography because of clinical indications. Patients were divided into two groups100 patients with SVG disease and 80 of them with patent SVG. RESULTSThe mean age of 180 patients was 57.4±8.8 years, and 64.4% of the study population were men. The total number of SVGs was 364, and the mean number of SVGs to each patient was 2.02±0.61. Vitamin D levels were higher in the patent SVG group than in the SVG disease group (36.2±10.7 and 21.1±10.4, respectively; P