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.
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References
- Tufts Evidence-based Practice Center. Vitamin D and Calcium: A Systematic Review of Health Outcomes. Prepared for: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2009.
Keywords: vitamin D , hypertension , blood pressure