Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with lower physical function in patients with heart failure and diabetes

Vitamin d deficiency is frequent among patients with heart failure (hf) and diabetes,disorders associated with exercise intolerance and muscle weakness. this study aims to search for associations between vitamin d sufficiency and physical function indexes in patients with hf and diabetes. a cross-sectional study of 146 hf patients,39.7% with diabetes,at a brazilian tertiary outpatient clinic was performed. patients underwent clinical evaluation,6-minute walk test (6 mwt),handgrip strength,physical activity level (ipaq),and biochemical evaluations including serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d. classification was done according to vitamin d status (≥30 ng/dl,sufficient) and presence/absence of diabetes in vitamin sufficient,no diabetes (ds-c,n = 25),vitamin sufficient,diabetes (ds-dm,n = 18),vitamin deficient,no diabetes (dd-c,n = 63),and vitamin deficient,diabetes (dd-dm,n = 40). patients age was 55.4 ± 8 yrs; 70.5% had vitamin d deficiency. clinical characteristics were similar among groups. total time expended in physical activity was similar among groups (p = 0.26). ds-c covered higher distances in the 6 mwt (392 ± 60 m) versus dd-dm (309 ± 116 m); p = 0.024. handgrip strength was similar among groups but tended to lower levels in dd-dm (p = 0.074) even after being adjusted to physical activity (p = 0.069). vitamin d deficiency can influence physical function in hf diabetic patients. © 2014 m. r. lopes et al.