Vitamin D May Reduce Blood Pressure in Obese Older Adults
The study finds that high doses of vitamin D supplementation do not provide additional benefits.
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Vitamin D supplements may lower blood pressure in older people with obesity and taking more than the Institutes of Medicine’s (IOM) recommended daily dose does not provide additional health benefits, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
The IOM recommends 600 International Units (IU) per day.
Vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide and has been associated with heart disease, immunological diseases, infections and cancer. Studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to a higher risk of hypertension, but evidence for the beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation on blood pressure outcomes is inconclusive.
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Subscribe for FREEThe researchers studied 221 older people with obesity taking vitamin D supplements at either 600 IU/day or 3,750 IU/day over the course of a year and found supplementation decreased their blood pressure.
The researchers compared the two groups and found higher doses of vitamin D did not provide additional health benefits. They determined people with obesity and those with low vitamin D levels benefited the most.
Reference: Rahme M, Al-Shaar L, Tamim H, El-Hajj Fuleihan G. Blood pressure decreases in overweight elderly individuals on vitamin D: A randomized trial. JES. 2024. doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvae168
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