Background and objectives: Conflicting reports support or refute an association between vitamin D deficiency with high levels of parathyroid hormone and left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertension. The objective of this study was to explore the associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone with left ventricular hypertrophy among a sample of hypertensive patients in Erbil-Iraq.

Patients and methods: This is a cross sectional study, including 120 patients (52males and 68 females) with essential hypertension attended the consultation unit of Rizgary Teaching Hospital from March 2015 to September 2015. Patients were classified into two groups, patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (n=70) and those without left ventricular hypertrophy (n=50).Serum 25(OH) D and parathyroid hormone concentrations were measured and studied in relation to left ventricular hypertrophy

Results: The mean age (+SD) of the patients was 53+11 years. Based on the results of the echocardiographic examination, left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 70 patients (58.3%) of whom 42 patients (60%) were female. Age, blood pressure and history of hyperlipidemia show statistically significant differences between the two groups (p= 0.007, 0.001, and 0.002, respectively). The mean of 25(OH) D level was lower while the mean of PTH level was higher in left ventricular hypertrophy patients compared to those without left ventricular hypertrophy (P<0.001).

Conclusions: Our results suggest that low serum vitamin D and high PTH levels are associated with left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients in Erbil city-Iraq.