TOPLINE:

In older adults, lower levels of vitamin D metabolites and periostin, a protein involved in remodelling and repairing tissues, were linked to an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. Low periostin levels were correlated with low vitamin D levels, and when all three markers were considered together, only the active form of vitamin D independently predicted the CV risk.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of older adults from the InCHIANTI Biobank in Italy to examine associations between levels of vitamin D metabolites and periostin and the CV risk.
• They included 299 older adults (mean age, 72.8 years; 44.8% men) whose samples were collected between June 2013 and July 2014.
• Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH] 2D), and periostin were measured.
• The CV risk was estimated using an eight-item CV risk score and European Society of Cardiology SCORE2/SCORE2-OP 10-year algorithms, with high risk defined as a CV risk score ≥ 3 and SCORE2/SCORE2-OP ≥ 20%.

TAKEAWAY:

• Periostin levels were positively correlated with vitamin D metabolites, with adjusted correlation coefficient values of 0.74 with 25(OH)D and 0.35 with 1,25(OH)2D (P < .0001 for both). Low periostin levels were linked to 22.4-fold higher odds of having 25(OH)D levels less than 20 ng/mL (P < .0001).
• Individuals with periostin levels less than 150 pmol/L had higher CV risk scores (2.9 vs 2.2; P < .0001) and SCORE2/SCORE2-OP values (21.1% vs 14.7%; P < .0001) than those with higher periostin levels.
• When all three markers were considered together, only 1,25(OH)2D levels less than 41 pg/mL remained significantly associated with a high CV risk (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.45 for the CV risk score; aOR, 3.05 for SCORE2/SCORE2-OP; P < .0001 for both).
• Low periostin levels were independently associated with age ≥ 75 years (aOR, 2.7; P = .006) and dyslipidaemia (aOR, 3.26; P = .0003).

IN PRACTICE:

"Building on the dual roles of periostin in CV health and disease, our study further revealed that both low periostin and vitamin D serum metabolite levels were independently associated with very high CV risk," the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Maria Luisa Brandi, Fondazione FIRMO Onlus, Via San Gallo, Florence, Italy. It was published online on December 09, 2025, in Osteoporosis International.

LIMITATIONS:

The cross-sectional design precluded any cause-and-effect relationships between levels of vitamin D and periostin and the CV risk. The sample came from a subgroup of older adults; thus, the findings may not be generalised to younger people. Data on vitamin D supplements, diet, and sun exposure were not collected.

DISCLOSURES:

The InCHIANTI study baseline was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health and in part by the US National Institute on Aging, and the 2013-2015 follow-up was supported by the Agency for Regional Health Care of Tuscany. One author reported receiving honoraria, grants, or speaker fees from multiple pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, including Abiogen Pharma, Eli Lilly, and Shire. Three authors reported being employees of Abiogen Pharma Spa, Italy.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.