Vitamin crucial for female blood pressure

Monday September 28th, 2009

By Jane Collingwood
Women with low vitamin D levels may be at a raised risk of high blood pressure in the future.

A team led by Flojaune Griffin of the University of Michigan, USA, examined figures from 559 women of European origin, taking part in a study of bone health. The research began in 1992 when the women were 24 to 44 years old.

Vitamin D blood levels were measured in 1993 and blood pressure readings were taken annually until 2007.

At a recent meeting of the American Heart Association, the researchers reported that vitamin D deficiency increased the women's risk of systolic hypertension 15 years later three-fold.

Systolic pressure is the pressure of blood in the vessels when the heart beats. It can cause damage to the heart, the cerebrovascular system, and the kidneys. It is often treated with a low-sodium diet and other lifestyle interventions such as increased exercise and reduced alcohol, as well as blood pressure drugs.

Ms Griffin said: "This study differs from others because we are looking over the course of 15 years, a longer follow-up than many studies. Our results indicate that early vitamin D deficiency may increase the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women at mid-life."

Vitamin D is produced in the body after exposure to ultraviolet B rays from the sun, and can be obtained from foods such as fatty fish or fortified milk products and dietary supplements. There is no general agreement about the optimum daily intake of vitamin D.

"Our study highlights the importance of vitamin D in the risk of high blood pressure later in life, a major health problem in the United States," Ms Griffin concludes.

Research reported at the American Heart Association's 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference.

Tags: North America | Diet & Food | Heart Health | Women’s Health & Gynaecology

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