Abstract: Objective To observe the effects of vitamin D on renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and the inflammation factors in the elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF),and to provide new ideas and methods for the treatment of CHF. Methods Sixty-eight elderly (≥80 years old) patients with CHF and vitamin D deficiency who were treated in the Geriatrics Department of our hospital from March 2018 to March 2019 were selected and divided into control group and observation group, with 34 cases in each group. The control group was treated according to the guidelines for heart failure, and the observation group was treated with calcitriol (0. 25 μg, twice a day) on the basis of the control group for 24 weeks. The levels of serum 25 (OH) D₃, plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ), lying aldosterone (ALD), N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor (NT-proBNP), interleukin-18 (IL-18), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured before and after treatment and compared between two groups. Results The levels of serum 25 (OH) D₃ and LVEF 24 weeks after in the observation group were higher than those before treatment and in the control groups (P<0. 05). The levels of NT-proBNP, PRA, AngⅡ, ALD, IL-18, CRP, TNF-α in the observation group were lower than those before treatment and in the control groups (P<0. 05). Conclusions Vitamin D supplementation on the basis of conventional anti-heart failure treatment can improve the heart function of the elderly patients with CHF. The mechanism may be related to vitamin D inhibiting renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity and reducing the body’s inflammatory response.

Key words: chronic heart failure, vitamin D, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, interleukin-18, aged