Low vitamin D levels linked to higher blood pressure

People with low blood levels of vitamin D may be at an increased risk of higher blood pressure.

"This finding may have public health significance, as vitamin D levels can easily, and cheaply, be increased by a modest increase in sun exposure or vitamin D supplementation," wrote lead author Robert Scragg in the American Journal of Hypertension.

The researchers used data from Third US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). The analysis was confined to 12,644 people (aged 20 or over, 6547 women) and those on hypertensive medication were excluded.

Vitamin D status was measured using blood levels of 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Non-Hispanic whites had the highest blood levels, followed by Mexican Americans, while non-Hispanic blacks had the lowest vitamin D levels.

When the subjects were split up into five groups depending on blood levels, the researchers calculated that people with the highest average vitamin D levels had better blood pressure than people with the lowest vitamin D levels.

After adjusting the results to account for Body Mass Index, the associations remained statistically significant for systolic blood pressure.