This retrospective cohort study analyzed 128 patients undergoing permanent vascular access surgery between 2003 and 2012 for whom concurrent plasma
vitamin D levels were also available. Levels were considered deficient at <20 ng/mL. Multivariable analysis was used to determine the association between
vitamin D and mortality and vascular access outcomes.
RESULTS: The mean age was 66.7 years, 96.8% were male, 32.0% were African American, and 60.9% had
diabetes mellitus. In the entire cohort, 55.5% were
vitamin D-deficient, despite similar rates of repletion among the
vitamin D-deficient and nondeficient groups. During a median follow-up of 2.73 years, there were 40 deaths (31%).
Vitamin D-deficient patients tended to be younger (P = .01) and to have higher total
cholesterol (P = .001) and lower
albumin (P = .017) and
calcium (P = .007) levels. Despite their younger age, mortality was significantly higher (P = .026) and vascular access failure was increased (P = .008) in the
vitamin D-deficient group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found
vitamin D deficiency (odds ratio [OR], 3.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-11.79; P = .031),
hemodialysis through a central
catheter (OR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.04-9.12; P = .042),
coronary artery disease (OR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.06-8.94; P = .039), increased age (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.15; P = .001), and
albumin (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.09-0.83; P = .023) remained independent predictors of mortality.
Vitamin D deficiency (hazard ratio [HR], 2.34; 95% CI, 1.17-4.71; P = .02), a synthetic graft (HR, 3.50; 95% CI, 1.38-8.89; P = .009), and
hyperlipidemia (HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.22-0.81; P = .01) were independent predictors of vascular access failure in a Cox proportional hazard model.
CONCLUSIONS: