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Vitamin D Deficiency Is Hypertension Risk

Darker Skin Increases Chances of High Blood Pressure and CVD

Jun 29, 2009 Art Ayers

Rickets isn't the only problem with insufficient dietary vitamin D and inadequate sun exposure. Vitamin D deficiency can also lead to hypertension and heart disease.

Vitamin D is known for its ability to help in building strong bones. Insufficient vitamin D leads to weak bones (rickets), but even modest deficiencies can lead to chronic degenerative diseases. Numerous foods from cereal to milk are routinely supplemented with vitamins, but dietary vitamin D is not enough. The major source of vitamin D is the conversion of cholesterol derivatives in the skin and this reaction requires the ultraviolet rays in sunlight. Most individuals do not eat or make enough vitamin D to avoid vitamin D deficiency, hypovitaminosis D.

Sun Exposure Produces Vitamin D but Results Differ

The current recommended daily dose of vitamin D3 is 200 IU per day. Standing in the sun with the upper body exposed produces approximately 1,000 IU of vitamin D per minute. The RDA is clearly insufficient to compensate for inadequate solar production and some authorities are now recommending in excess of 2,000 IU daily.

There are many variables in skin production of vitamin D

Melanin, the black/brown pigment in skin, blocks vitamin D production and darker skin produces less vitamin D in sunlight.
Solar intensity is less further north and less in winter. Less sunlight means less vitamin D.
Sun screen reduces vitamin D production.
Chronic inflammation seems to reduce the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D even in sunlight.

African Americans, Hispanics are Prone to Vitamin D Deficiency and CVD

A recent study found an association between low vitamin D, as measured in blood, and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in African American and Hispanics. Individuals with lower serum levels of vitamin D were at higher risk of CVD. Individuals with higher levels of skin pigmentation were found to be more likely to have vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D Deficiency Produces Chronic Inflammation

One of the troubling problems associated with vitamin D deficiency is an increase in chronic inflammation. A study of common serum markers for inflammation in women with different serum levels of vitamin D, showed that the inflammatory marker TNF was inversely related to vitamin D. Thus, high levels of vitamin D reduced inflammation and low levels of vitamin D were associated with high chronic inflammation.

Vitamin D Therapy is Effective in Inflammatory Diseases

An analysis of numerous studies of the relationship between vitamin D and chronic, inflammatory diseases has shown both that low serum vitamin D levels are disease risk factors and that vitamin D supplements that successfully increase serum vitamin D, reduce disease symptoms. One particular example is the successful treatment of hypertension with vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D therapy was also effective in reducing inflammation following heart failure.

Rickets Cure to Panacea

The reduction of inflammation with vitamin D treatment, combined with the link between inflammation and chronic diseases has led to a reexamination of skin exposure to sunlight (and perhaps tanning lamps.) The trend toward aggressive reduction of skin exposure to reduce skin cancer has moderated to careful exposure to sunlight while avoiding sunburns. The benefits of vitamin D are now obvious and anyone with symptoms of inflammatory disease should be encouraged to check that they are not deficient in vitamin D.

references:

Nemerovski CW, Dorsch MP, Simpson RU, Bone HG, Aaronson KD, Bleske BE. Vitamin D and cardiovascular disease. Pharmacotherapy. 2009 Jun;29(6):691-708.

Peterson CA, Heffernan ME. Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations are negatively correlated with serum 25(OH)D concentrations in healthy women. J Inflamm (Lond). 2008 Jul 24;5:10.

Kim DH, Sabour S, Sagar UN, Adams S, Whellan DJ. Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in cardiovascular diseases (from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001 to 2004). Am J Cardiol. 2008 Dec 1;102(11):1540-4.

The copyright of the article Vitamin D Deficiency Is Hypertension Risk in General Medicine is owned by Art Ayers. Permission to republish Vitamin D Deficiency Is Hypertension Risk in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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