Vitamin D Deficiency: Can It Cause High Blood Pressure? - Mayo Clinic

Can vitamin D deficiency cause high blood pressure?

Answer From Fouad Chebib, M.D.

A vitamin D deficiency means you don't have enough vitamin D in your body. A lack of vitamin D makes bones weak. But the link between vitamin D and blood pressure isn't clear.

In general, vitamin D may change how some body chemicals control blood pressure. The vitamin also seems to keep the lining of blood vessels flexible and healthy. If you have low vitamin D, your arteries can become stiff. This makes it harder for blood to flow.

Research about vitamin D and heart health has been mixed. Here's what studies say so far:

• A low vitamin D level seems to increase the risk of heart disease and death due to the condition.
• A low vitamin D level may make a person more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes. These conditions are risk factors for heart disease.
• It's unclear whether a daily vitamin D supplement protects against heart attacks and strokes. It may only help those with severely low vitamin D levels.

Still, vitamin D is needed for overall good health. The daily recommended amounts from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are as follows:

• Adults ages 19 to 70 should get 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day.
• Adults over 70 should try to get 800 IU a day.

Remember, more of a vitamin isn't always better. Adults should not take more than 4,000 IU a day.

If you're worried that you're not getting enough vitamin D, talk to your health care provider. A blood test can be done to check your vitamin D level.

Screening for vitamin D deficiency is especially important in those with brown or Black skin, which has higher levels of the substance that gives skin its color. This substance is called melanin. The more melanin you have, the harder it is for your skin to make vitamin D from the sun.

Others who may benefit from vitamin D screening are:

• People who don't spend a lot of time in the sun.
• Older adults.
• People with certain health conditions that make it difficult to absorb vitamin D.

With

Fouad Chebib, M.D.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

Email Address 1 Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Subscribe!

Thank you for subscribing!

You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Sorry something went wrong with your subscription

Please, try again in a couple of minutes

Retry

• Caffeine and hypertension
• Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?

• Share
• Tweet

April 07, 2023 Show references

1. Vitamin D. Natural Medicines. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com. Accessed Jan. 25, 2023.
2. Vitamin D is good for the bones, but what about the heart? American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/09/17/vitamin-d-is-good-for-the-bones-but-what-about-the-heart. Accessed Jan. 26, 2023.
3. Theiler-Schwetz V, et al. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on 24-hour blood pressure in patients with low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2022; doi:0.3390/nu14071360.
4. Barbarawi M, et al. Vitamin D supplementation and cardiovascular disease risks in more than 83,000 individuals in 21 randomized clinical trials: A meta-analysis. JAMA Cardiology. 2019; doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2019.1870.
5. Vitamin D. Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/. Accessed Jan. 25, 2023.
6. Dietary Reference Intakes for calcium and vitamin D. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13050/dietary-reference-intakes-for-calcium-and-vitamin-d. Accessed Jan. 25, 2023.
7. Vitamin D. Merck Manual Professional Version. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional-disorders/vitamin-deficiency,-dependency,-and-toxicity/vitamin-d-deficiency-and-dependency. Accessed Jan. 25, 2023.
8. Liu L, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome: The joint effect on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in the United States adults. World Journal of Cardiology. 2022; doi:10.4330/wjc.v14.i7.411.
9. Zhang W, et al. The effect of vitamin D on the lipid profile as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women: A meta-analysis and FAQ-20058280
10. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Experimental Gerontology. 2022; doi:10.1016/j.exger.2022.111709.
11. Zhou A, et al. Non-linear Mendelian randomization analyses support a role for vitamin D deficiency in cardiovascular disease risk. European Heart Journal. 2022; doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehab809.
12. Libby P, et al., eds. Endocrine disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Jan. 29, 2023.

See more Expert Answers

Products and Services

1. Blood Pressure Monitors at Mayo Clinic Store
2. A Book: Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure
3. The Mayo Clinic Diet Online

See also

1. Medication-free hypertension control
2. Alcohol: Does it affect blood pressure?
3. Alpha blockers
4. Amputation and diabetes
5. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
6. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
7. Anxiety: A cause of high blood pressure?
8. Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
9. Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar?
10. AskMayoMom Pediatric Urology
11. Beta blockers
12. Beta blockers: Do they cause weight gain?
13. Beta blockers: How do they affect exercise?
14. Birth control pill FAQ
15. Blood glucose meters
16. Blood glucose monitors
17. Blood pressure: Can it be higher in one arm?
18. Blood pressure chart
19. Blood pressure cuff: Does size matter?
20. Blood pressure: Does it have a daily pattern?
21. Blood pressure: Is it affected by cold weather?
22. Blood pressure medication: Still necessary if I lose weight?
23. Blood pressure medications: Can they raise my triglycerides?
24. Blood pressure readings: Why higher at home?
25. Blood pressure test
26. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate for many reasons
27. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how
28. Bone and joint problems associated with diabetes
29. How kidneys work
30. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
31. Caffeine and hypertension
32. Calcium channel blockers
33. Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
34. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
35. Central-acting agents
36. Choosing blood pressure medicines
37. Chronic daily headaches
38. Chronic kidney disease
39. Chronic kidney disease: Is a clinical trial right for me?
40. Coarctation of the aorta
41. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
42. Cushing syndrome
43. DASH diet
44. DASH diet: Recommended servings
45. Sample DASH menus
46. Diabetes
47. Diabetes and depression: Coping with the two conditions
48. Diabetes and exercise: When to monitor your blood sugar
49. Diabetes and heat
50. 10 ways to avoid diabetes complications
51. Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
52. Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan
53. Diabetes foods: Can I substitute honey for sugar?
54. Diabetes and liver
55. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
56. Diabetes symptoms
57. Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
58. Using insulin
59. Diuretics
60. Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
61. Diuretics: Cause of gout?
62. Dizziness
63. Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
64. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
65. Eating right for chronic kidney disease
66. High blood pressure and exercise
67. Fibromuscular dysplasia
68. Free blood pressure machines: Are they accurate?
69. Home blood pressure monitoring
70. Glomerulonephritis
71. Glycemic index: A helpful tool for diabetes?
72. Guillain-Barre syndrome
73. Headaches and hormones
74. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
75. Heart and Blood Health
76. Herbal supplements and heart drugs
77. High blood pressure (hypertension)
78. High blood pressure and cold remedies: Which are safe?
79. High blood pressure and sex
80. High blood pressure dangers
81. How does IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) cause kidney damage?
82. How opioid use disorder occurs
83. How to tell if a loved one is abusing opioids
84. What is hypertension? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.
85. Hypertension FAQs
86. Hypertensive crisis: What are the symptoms?
87. Hypothermia
88. I have IgA nephrology. Will I need a kidney transplant?
89. IgA nephropathy (Berger disease)
90. Insulin and weight gain
91. Intracranial hematoma
92. Isolated systolic hypertension: A health concern?
93. What is kidney disease? An expert explains
94. Kidney disease FAQs
95. Kratom: Unsafe and ineffective
96. Kratom for opioid withdrawal
97. L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
98. Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes?
99. Lead poisoning
100. Living with IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) and C3G
101. Low-phosphorus diet: Helpful for kidney disease?
102. Medications and supplements that can raise your blood pressure
103. Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
104. Molar pregnancy
105. MRI: Is gadolinium safe for people with kidney problems?
106. New Test for Preeclampsia
107. Nighttime headaches: Relief
108. Nosebleeds
109. Obstructive sleep apnea
110. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
111. Opioid stewardship: What is it?
112. Pain Management
113. Pheochromocytoma
114. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
115. Pituitary tumors
116. Polycystic kidney disease
117. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
118. Poppy seed tea: Beneficial or dangerous?
119. Porphyria
120. Postpartum preeclampsia
121. Preeclampsia
122. Prescription drug abuse
123. Primary aldosteronism
124. Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
125. Mayo Clinic Minute: Rattlesnakes, scorpions and other desert dangers
126. Reactive hypoglycemia: What can I do?
127. Renal diet for vegetarians
128. Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
129. Scorpion sting
130. Secondary hypertension
131. Serotonin syndrome
132. Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
133. Sleep tips
134. Snoring
135. Sodium
136. Spider bites
137. Stress and high blood pressure
138. Symptom Checker
139. Takayasu's arteritis
140. Tapering off opioids: When and how
141. Tetanus
142. Tetanus shots: Is it risky to receive 'extra' boosters?
143. The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
144. Understanding complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G)
145. Understanding IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease)
146. Vasodilators
147. Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
148. Vesicoureteral reflux
149. Video: Heart and circulatory system
150. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
151. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
152. Obstructive sleep apnea: What happens?
153. What is blood pressure?
154. What are opioids and why are they dangerous?
155. White coat hypertension
156. Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?
157. Xylazine
158. Effectively managing chronic kidney disease
159. Mayo Clinic Minute: Do not share pain medication
160. Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoid opioids for chronic pain
161. Mayo Clinic Minute: Be careful not to pop pain pills
162. Mayo Clinic Minute: Out of shape kids and diabetes

Show more related content