Vitamin D Status and Cardiovascular Disease in College Athletes After SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Objective: To evaluate the association between vitamin D status and CV disease after COVID-19 in college athletes. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: National College Athletic Association Division-I college athletes from a single academic institution. Patients: A total of 157 athletes (60 female; median age: 20 years) from 9 sports with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), and vitamin D level. Independent Variables: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level (primary); age, sex (regression models). Main Outcomes Measures: Differences in age, sex, race, ethnicity, myocarditis, pericarditis, and CMR metrics by vitamin D status were analyzed. Regression models were used to assess the relationship between vitamin D status and CMR metrics accounting for age and sex. Results: Low vitamin D (LVD) was found in 33 (21.0%) of athletes, particularly Black males (P<0.001). Athletes with LVD had higher biventricular and lower mid-ventricular extracellular volumes, but these differences were not significant when corrected for age and sex. Athletes with LVD had higher left ventricle (LV) mass (P, 0.001) and LV mass index (P 5 0.001) independent of age and sex. Differences in global circumferential strain were noted but are likely clinically insignificant. Vitamin D status did not associate with myocarditis and pericarditis (P50.544). Conclusions: LVD is common in athletes, particularly in Black males. Although athletes with LVD had higher LV mass, cardiac function and tissue characterization did not differ by vitamin D status. Future studies are needed to determine if the differences in LV mass and LV mass index by vitamin D status are clinically significant. This study suggests that vitamin D status does not impact the development of myocarditis or pericarditis after COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]