Vitamin D and high blood pressure in African-Americans
Higher prevalence of hypertension among African Americans is a key cause of racial disparity in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Researchers in New York and California assessed the contribution of vitamin D to racial disparity in blood pressure.
First, the details.
- 1984 non-Hispanic Black and 5156 White adults were studied.
- Differences in systolic blood pressure after controlling for conventional risk factors, and then additionally, for vitamin D (25[OH]D blood levels) were recorded.
And, the results.
- The average age-sex adjusted Black-White systolic blood pressure difference was 5.2 mmHg.
- This difference was reduced to 4.0 mmHg with additional adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics, health status, health care, health behaviors, and biomarkers.
- Adding 25(OH)D reduced the race difference by 26% to 2.9 mmHg.
- This effect increased to 39% when those on antihypertensive medications were excluded.
The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “25(OH)D explains one quarter of the Black-White disparity in systolic blood pressure.”
They recommend more study to determine whether vitamin D supplementation might reduce racial disparity in blood pressure.
The overall prevalence of hypertension is 25%. In non-Hispanic Blacks the prevalence is 31% vs 24% in non-Hispanic Whites — a significant difference.
5/2/11 20:21 JR
