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Vitamin D, Hypertension and Blood Pressure

The Evidence

A systematic review of the evidence conducted in 2009 for the Institute of Medicine by the Tufts Evidence-based Practice Center in preparation for revisions to the Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamin D and calcium concluded the following regarding vitamin D and cardiovascular disease:¹

Hypertension

• No relevant randomized controlled trials were identified;
• In a combined analysis of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and the Nurses Health Study, significantly higher incidence of hypertension at 4 years was found in men and women (mostly within the 51 to 70 year old life stage) with serum 25(OH)D concentrations < 37.5 nmol/L, compared to those with higher 25(OH)D concentrations. At 8 years, a similar significant association was found for men, but not for women.

Blood pressure

• Only randomized controlled trials were evaluated for changes in blood pressure;
• Three randomized controlled trials of vitamin D vs. placebo evaluated blood pressure outcomes. The trials used a range of vitamin D dosages (800 IU/d to 120,000 IU every 2 weeks), with or without supplemental calcium in both groups;
• All trials reported no significant effect on diastolic blood pressure, but the effect upon systolic blood pressure was inconsistent. The three trials found either a net reduction, no change, or a net increase in systolic blood pressure with vitamin D supplementation after 5–8 weeks.

Learn more on the subject:

• Vitamin D and Health
• Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease
• Vitamin D and Body Weight

Keywords: vitamin D , hypertension , blood pressure