|
HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Would Vitamin-D Deficiency Lead To Hypertension? Human body can make Vitamin-D through exposure of skin to ultraviolet B rays or acquire it through diet. Vitamin-D can be found in fatty fish, fortified milk products and dietary supplements. It has been known to be responsible for healthy bones and teeth. When a person’s mean concentration of Vitamin D in blood plasma or circulating levels of 25(OH)D is less than 80 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L), he or she is said to have Vitamin-D deficiency. Almost 50 percent of the worldwide population has lower-than- optimal levels of Vitamin-D. People with dark skin are especially at higher risk, as they are difficult to absorb ultraviolet light. Many women are believed to be deficient in Vitamin-D. This is probably because many of them do not get enough sunlight exposure or have appropriate diets or supplements to help keep Vitamin-D near to normal level. Studies have shown that deficiency in Vitamin-D could link to cancer, immune system problems and inflammatory diseases. Researchers from University of Michigan School of Public Health recently found that younger white women with Vitamin-D deficiency are about 3 times more likely to have hypertension (high blood pressure) in middle age than those with normal Vitamin-D level.
The findings were released on September 24, 2009 and were presented to the American Heart Association in Chicago, Ill. Funded by the United States National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the Michigan Bone Health and Metabolism Study examined the data on 559 women starting from 1992. When the study began, these women, who lived in Tecumseh, Michigan, were between 24 and 44 years old with an average age of 38. This study differs from others as it spanned over a period of 15 years, a longer follow-up than many other studies. 15 years later (in 2007), those with low levels of Vitamin-D were found to be more likely to have high blood pressure. The results clearly indicate that early Vitamin-D deficiency might increase the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women at mid-life. The Vitamin-D blood levels of the women enrolled in the study were measured at the outset, and their blood pressure readings were taken once every year. Systolic readings were compared in 2007. More than 10 percent of the women with Vitamin-D deficiency had high blood pressure, comparing to 3.7 percent of those with sufficient levels. When the study began, 5.5 percent of the women with Vitamin-D deficiencies also had high blood pressure, as compared with 2.8 percent with normal Vitamin-D level. Systolic blood pressure, also known as the ‘top number’, is the pressure within blood vessels when the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure, also termed as the ‘bottom number’, is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. There 2 readings are used to monitor blood pressure. Blood pressure readings that exceed 120/80 mmHg (120 is the top reading while 80 is the bottom reading) are considered to be high. The mmHg stands for millimeters of mercury - the units used to measure blood pressure. High blood pressure would raise the chances of developing stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and other cardiovascular diseases. As such, people should pay more attention on their intake of Vitamin-D. Nevertheless, there is no general consensus about the optimal intake of Vitamin-D. Some researchers felt that the current recommended intake of 400 international units (IU) to 600 IU daily is insufficient and suggested a much higher daily intake that starts from 1000 IU to as high as 5000 IU. Meanwhile, regular exposure to sunlight for an appropriate period of time would also help keep the optimal level of Vitamin-D.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright
2007-2012 © HowToPreventHeartDisease.com . All Rights Reserved.d....... |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
