Study: Vitamin D reduces blood pressure in obese patients

A recent study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, has revealed that vitamin D supplements may lower blood pressure in obese older adults. Researchers from the American University of Beirut, in collaboration with researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the United States and Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia, conducted the study on 221 obese older adults who took vitamin D supplements at either 600 IU daily or 3,750 IU daily for a year, and found that the supplements reduced their blood pressure. According to news reports, vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide and is linked to heart disease, immune diseases, inflammation, and cancer. Studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of high blood pressure, but evidence of a beneficial effect of vitamin D supplements on blood pressure is inconclusive.

 Vitamin D

Vitamin D (also known as calciferol) is a vitamin that occurs naturally in a few foods, is added to others, and is available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced in the body, when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and stimulate the body's production of vitamin D.

Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium in the intestine and maintains adequate concentrations of calcium and phosphate in the blood to strengthen bones and prevent cramps and spasms caused by hypocalcemia. It is also necessary for bone growth and remodeling by osteocytes and osteoclasts. Without adequate amounts of vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Adequate vitamin D prevents rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Vitamin D, along with calcium, helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.

Vitamin D and Blood Pressure

In this context, Dr. Ghada Al-Hajj Fleihan, who holds a doctorate in medicine, a master's degree in public health, and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, from the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon, said - according to the Eurek Alert website - that "our study found that vitamin D supplements may reduce blood pressure in specific subgroups, such as the elderly, people with obesity, and perhaps those with low levels of vitamin D. Higher doses of vitamin D compared to the daily dose recommended by the Institute of Medicine did not provide additional health benefits."