Journal Article

Latest Knowledge on the Role of Vitamin D in Hypertension

Wehland, Markus, Wise, Petra M., Jensen, Niklas S., Grimm, Daniela

2023

Overview

Hypertension is the third leading cause of the global disease burden, and while populations live longer, adopt more sedentary lifestyles, and become less economically concerned, the prevalence of hypertension is expected to increase. Pathologically elevated blood pressure (BP) is the strongest risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related disability, thus making it imperative to treat this disease. Effective standard pharmacological treatments, i.e., diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blocker (ARBs), beta-adrenergic receptor blockers (BARBs), and calcium channel blockers (CCBs), are available. Vitamin D (vitD) is known best for its role in bone and mineral homeostasis. Studies with vitamin D receptor (VDR) knockout mice show an increased renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) activity and increased hypertension, suggesting a key role for vitD as a potential antihypertensive agent. Similar studies in humans displayed ambiguous and mixed results. No direct antihypertensive effect was shown, nor a significant impact on the human RAAS. Interestingly, human studies supplementing vitD with other antihypertensive agents reported more promising results. VitD is considered a safe supplement, proposing its great potential as antihypertensive supplement. The aim of this review is to examine the current knowledge about vitD and its role in the treatment of hypertension.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Adrenergic beta-Antagonists - pharmacology / Adrenergic beta-Antagonists - therapeutic use / Alfacalcidol / Angiotensin / Angiotensin converting enzyme / Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists - pharmacology / Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists - therapeutic use / Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology / Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - therapeutic use / Animals / Antihypertensive Agents - pharmacology / Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use / Antihypertensive drugs / Antihypertensives / Blood pressure / Bone Density Conservation Agents - pharmacology / Bone Density Conservation Agents - therapeutic use / Calcifediol / Calcium Channel Blockers - pharmacology / Calcium Channel Blockers - therapeutic use / Calcium channels / Cardiovascular disease / Clinical trials / Diet / Diet therapy / Diuretics / Drugs / Enzymes / Homeostasis / Humans / Hypertension / Hypertension - therapy / Lifestyles / Metabolism / Mice / Mortality / Online data bases / Physiology / Receptors, Calcitriol - genetics / Renin-Angiotensin System / Review / Risk factors / Signal transduction / Vitamin D / Vitamin D - pharmacology / Vitamin D - therapeutic use / Vitamin deficiency