A new study suggests that taking vitamin D supplements may help lower blood pressure in older adults with obesity, but higher doses offer no added benefits.
Published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, this research highlights that sticking to the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) recommended daily dose of 600 International Units (IU) of vitamin D is sufficient for health benefits in this group.
Vitamin D deficiency is widespread globally and has been linked to several health issues, including heart disease, immune system disorders, infections, and certain cancers.
Low vitamin D levels have also been associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure, but until now, it’s been unclear if vitamin D supplements could help manage blood pressure.
This study provides evidence that vitamin D could indeed benefit blood pressure, especially for specific groups such as older adults and people with obesity.
The research team, led by Dr. Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan from the American University of Beirut Medical Center, studied 221 older adults with obesity over a year. Participants took either the standard recommended dose of 600 IU or a higher dose of 3,750 IU of vitamin D daily.
The findings showed that vitamin D supplementation did help lower blood pressure in these participants. However, those taking the higher dose did not see any additional health improvements, suggesting that more is not necessarily better.
The study’s results were particularly meaningful for older adults with obesity, as well as those with lower levels of vitamin D.
These groups seemed to benefit the most from regular, moderate doses of vitamin D, reinforcing the idea that proper vitamin D levels are important for managing blood pressure in older age.
This could help clarify previous research, as some studies had mixed findings on vitamin D’s effects on blood pressure, possibly because they didn’t focus on specific subgroups.
Alongside Dr. Fuleihan, researchers from the American University of Beirut, Pennsylvania State University, and Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia contributed to the study.
Their work adds to a growing body of evidence on the role of vitamin D in cardiovascular health, particularly for individuals with obesity who may already be at a higher risk of blood pressure issues.
In summary, for older adults with obesity, sticking to the IOM’s recommended 600 IU daily dose of vitamin D may be enough to help manage blood pressure without the need for higher doses.
This finding could support more personalized approaches to vitamin D supplementation, ensuring people get just the right amount to benefit their health without unnecessary excess.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about how diets could help lower high blood pressure, and 3 grams of omega-3s a day keep high blood pressure at bay.
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The research findings can be found in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
