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Should Hypertensive Patients Take Vitamin D?

  • Antihypertensive Agents: Mechanisms of Drug Action (HM Siragy and B Waeber, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The prevalence of both hypertension and vitamin D deficiency is high. The discovery of the vitamin D receptor and its possible effects on components of the cardiovascular system influencing blood pressure, such as the renin angiotensin system, the heart, the kidney and the blood vessels, has generated the hope that vitamin D therapy could be a new target for the treatment for hypertensive patients. Cross-sectional studies have clearly shown an association between low levels of vitamin D and hypertension. This association is not as clear in longitudinal studies. Finally, evidence from randomized controlled trials specifically designed to test the hypothesis of a blood pressure lowering effect of vitamin D is weak. Therefore, there is actually not enough evidence to recommend giving vitamin D to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

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Disclosure

Drs. Wuerzner and Burnier reported no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

Dr. Waeber has served as a consultant for Novartis and Menarini, and has served as a board member of and received payment for giving lectures to Servier, Novartis, and Astra Zeneca.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service of nephrology and hypertension, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Gregoire Wuerzner & Michel Burnier

  2. Division of Clinical Pathophysiolgy, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Bernard Waeber

  3. Clinical Research Center, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Gregoire Wuerzner & Bernard Waeber

  4. Division de physiopathologie clinique, CHUV, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Bernard Waeber

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  1. Gregoire Wuerzner
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  2. Michel Burnier
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  3. Bernard Waeber
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Correspondence to Bernard Waeber.

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Wuerzner, G., Burnier, M. & Waeber, B. Should Hypertensive Patients Take Vitamin D?. Curr Hypertens Rep 14, 318–323 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-012-0271-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-012-0271-x

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