Vitamin D and blood pressure connection: update on epidemiologic, clinical, and mechanistic evidence

Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease. High blood pressure is a growing public health problem that is expected to affect 1.6 billion people worldwide by the year 2025. In light of emerging evidence of a widespread global problem of vitamin D deficiency, there has been increasing interest concerning the role of vitamin D in chronic disease. The recent publication of several studies, highlighted in this brief review, supports an association between vitamin D status and blood pressure. It remains to be determined what level of vitamin D status needs to be achieved in different subpopulations to assure the maximum benefit of vitamin D status on blood pressure. (C) 2008 International Life Sciences Institute.