Vitamin D Supplements May Lower Blood Pressure in Seniors With Overweight

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Among older individuals with overweight, vitamin D supplementation coadministered with calcium reduces systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), according to a study published online Nov. 12 in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

Maya Rahme, from the American University of Beirut Medical Center, and colleagues examined the effect of two doses of cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃) supplementation coadministered with calcium on SBP and DBP. Ambulatory, older adults with overweight (221) received a calcium dose and oral vitamin D₃ at 600 or 3,750 IU/day equivalent.

The researchers found a significant decrease in SBP and DBP in the overall group and in the high-dose group at six and 12 months. Trends were similar in the low-dose group but did not reach statistical significance. SBP decreased significantly in both treatment groups among individuals with body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m², while a significant decrease in DBP was only seen in the high-dose group. In the subgroups of 143 participants with hypertension, there was a decrease in SBP and DBP at six and 12 months, independent of BMI levels and at both vitamin D levels. BMI and baseline SBP significantly predicted SBP at six and 12 months, but vitamin D treatment dose did not in multivariate linear mixed models with random effects in the overall group of participants.

“Our trial and critical synthesis of data from other relevant randomized controlled trials suggest a putative beneficial effect of vitamin D in older populations with inadequate vitamin D levels and hypertension,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text