Aims: To investigate if concentric cardiac remodelling is related to central aortic Pulse Wave Velocity (aPWV) and to circulating vitamin D3, in men of different ethnic groups and cardiac/ vascular risk.

Methods: Community samples of 194 men, Afro-Caribbean (n=64, age: 54±10yr) at higher stroke but lower CHD risk, South Asian (n=68, 55±10yr) at high CHD risk and European (n=62, 57±9yr), reference risk, had standard echocardiographic LV geometry measurements, and aPWVAG by Arteriograph. In a sub-sample of 48, these indices were also measured by cardiac MR.

Results: Concentric geometry quantified as relative wall thickness (RWT>0.42) was commoner among AfC (59%) and SA (49%) than Europeans (24%) (p<0.001). RWT was by 0.05(0.01) higher in SA and AfC than in Europeans, as was Mass/Volume by MR.. Mean(SE) 25(OH)D3 in SA and AfC was 21(3) and 14(3) nmol/L < Europeans. In regression models, adjusting for age, systolic blood pressure (BP), diabetes and BMI, 25(OH)D negatively correlated with indices of left ventricle (LV) concentric geometry (RWT) by echocardiography. A 1SD (18 nmol/L) rise in 25(OH)D predicted a 0.23 SD drop in RWT (p=0.002). Adjusted for age, SBP and diabetes, 25(OH)D was also inversely related to aPWVAG, (B(SE)=−0.013(0.004), p<0.001). However, RWT & aPWVAG were poorly if ‘significantly’ correlated (r=0.18 p=0.01) & not in the smaller MR sample.

Conclusions: vitamin D status in AfC and SA compared to European men was negatively associated with both LV concentric remodelling and aPWV, although cardiac geometry and aPWV were poorly related themselves. Vitamin D intervention trials are required.