Circulating uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein in patients with atrial fibrillation or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Context: Circulating uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein (ucMGP) is possibly related to coronary arterial calcification (CAC) in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the relationships between circulating ucMGP, CVD pathology and CAC and its interplay with CVD risk factors.

Materials And Methods: ucMGP was measured in 99 CVD-patients.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in Bulgarian patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection.

Aims: The present pilot study aimed to determine vitamin D status in Bulgarian patients with chronic HCV infection in respect to the severity of liver disease and response to interferon-ribavirin therapy.

Methods: The study encompassed 296 patients: 161 males (54.4%) aged 42.