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NDT Advance Access published online on September 11, 2009
Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, doi:10.1093/ndt/gfp470
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of ERA-EDTA]. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org


Association of low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and high arterial blood pressure in the elderly

Jaume Almirall1, Montserrat Vaqueiro2, Marisa L. Baré3 and Esperanza Anton2

1 Nephrology Service 2 Albada Nursing Home 3 Epidemiology Unit, UDIAT-CD, Departament de Medicina, Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí—Institut Universitari. Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain

Correspondence and offprint requests to: Jaume Almirall; E-mail: jalmirall{at}tauli.cat



  Abstract

Background. Vitamin D and calcium metabolism are involved in vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, endothelial function and blood pressure (BP) regulation. Their physiopathology has been a matter of intensive clinical investigation with variable and sometimes contradictory results. Vitamin D insufficiency is highly prevalent in the general population, particularly among the elderly. We evaluated the association between serum 25(OH)-D levels and arterial BP in this population.

Methods. An epidemiological cross-sectional study was designed to analyse the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D (‘D’AVIS’ study) in our reference area. The study was performed on a representative random sample of the population over 64 years of age obtained from five primary health care areas. A medical record, arterial BP and biological analysis: serum 25(OH)-D, iPTH, creatinine, urea, calcium, albumin were obtained.

Results. A total of 237 subjects (53% women), aged between 64 and 93 (mean 71.7 ± 5.3), were evaluated. The mean serum 25(OH)-D levels were 17.21 ± 7.57 ng/ml (interval 5–54; 86% had <25 ng/ml). The mean BP was 138.8 ± 14/80 ± 7.4 mmHg, and 46% were on antihypertensive treatment. A significant negative association was observed between serum 25(OH)-D levels and systolic (r = –0.153, P = 0.018) and diastolic BP (r = –0.152, P = 0.019). This association persisted after controlling for possible confounders in the multivariate analyses.

Conclusions. Low serum 25(OH)-D levels were inversely and independently associated with BP. Supplemental measures to prevent hypovitaminosis D in this population would be important, not only to protect the skeletal system but also for the possible beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and the BP regulation.

Keywords: blood pressure; cross-sectional study; elderly; hypertension; vitamin D

Received for publication: 8. 6.09
Accepted in revised form: 17. 8.09


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