Circulating Vitamin D and Risk of Cerebrovascular Disease:A Meta-analysis

Objective:This scoping review aims to perform a meta-analysis to harmonize the existing results on circulating vitamin D and cerebrovascular disease.Methods:Three scientific databases,PubMed,the Cochrane Library and EMBASE,were systematically searched.The overall relative risk(RR)and the corresponding 95%confidence interval(CI)were calculated using a random-effects model,and sensitivity analysis and publication bias tests were performed.Results:Of the 4,138 articles retrieved,28 studies were included in our analysis,with a cumulative sample size of 284,840.Subsequent random-effects meta-analysis showed an association between low levels of vitamin D and cerebrovascular disease:RR=1.39,95%CI:1.26,1.53.In subgroup analyses,low levels of vitamin D were associated with both ischemic stroke(RR=1.35,95%CI:1.17,1.55)and hemorrhagic stroke(RR=1.70,95%CI:1.03,2.79).The funnel plot was asymmetric.Sensitivity analysis showed that one literature article had a significant impact on the results.There was a statistically significant correlation between low levels of vitamin D and cerebrovascular disease.Conclusion:Vitamin D levels are associated with both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.