Low calcium intake is associated with increased blood pressure among Filipino women

Abstract

The role of dietary calcium (Ca) as a determinant of blood pressure (BP) has not been firmly established, especially in developing countries like the Philippines where Ca intake is low and hypertension (Htn) prevalence is high. We examined how Ca intake relates to BP among Filipino women using data from 1,997 women (ages 35–68y) in the 2005 Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Dietary Ca intake was measured using two 24‐hr recalls (mean: 309 mg/d). Major dietary sources of Ca were fish (37%), creamers/milk/milk products (23%), and vegetables (11%). About 27% of women had Htn (BP>;=140/90 mmHg). Regression analyses adjusted for age, smoking, energy intake, and other confounders showed that low Ca intake (lowest quartile) is associated with higher BP and odds of having Htn. Women with low Ca intake had 3.8 mmHg (95% CI: 1.6–6.1) higher systolic BP and 46% higher odds of having Htn [OR 1.46 (1.11–1.92)]. For diastolic BP, the effect of low Ca intake increased as WC increased (p for interaction <0.1). For example, for women with 75cm WC, the effect of low Ca intake was 1.6 (.1–3.1) while for those with 95cm WC, the effect is 3.8 (1.5–6.0) mmHg. Although Ca intake has been associated with fat metabolism and deposition, the biological mechanism of this interaction is yet to be elucidated. Results suggest that increasing Ca intake may help decrease BP in this population and preventing high WC may enhance this benefit. R01TW008288