A Study on Plasma 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Levels in Hypertensive Patients

Vitamin D has played a vital role in regulation of our body. It has been identified that vitamin D deficiency is associated with life style disorders like diabetes mellitus, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. In this study we aim to determine the serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels in patients with primary hypertension and to demonstrate any co-relation between vitamin D and Hypertension.50 patients who are primary hypertensives were selected and their vitamin D level was measured and their vitamin D levels were compared to age and sex matched non hypertensive controls.50 hypertensive cases and 50 non hypertensive controls attending to out patient department and inpatients coming to Yenepoya medical college hospital were investigated for evaluation of vitamin D status. The hypertensive patients had lower levels of vitamin D with vitamin D status of deficiency in 13 (26 %) of the cases and insufficiency in 20 (40 %) of the cases and normal levels in 17 (34 %) of the cases. Non hypertensive controls showed normal vitamin D status in 42 (84 %) of controls and insufficiency in 7 (14 %) of the controls and deficiency in 1 (2 %) of the controls. Age of the cases, duration of hypertension, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure inversely correlated to vitamin D levels. Body mass index, alcohol consumption and drug compliance did not correlate to vitamin D levels. It was observed from this study that serum vitamin D levels was lower in hypertensive patients when compared to non-hypertensive controls. Vitamin D could be an independent risk factor that is associated with primary or essential hypertension. Further studies with large number of participants are required to confirm the etiology of vitamin D deficiency in Primary Hypertension.