Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the hypertensive south Indian population

Abstract

Aim. The leading cause of early cardiovascular death worldwide is systemic hypertension (HTN). It is accountable for 57% of stroke and 24% of coronary heart disease deaths in India. Vitamin D indirectly regulates blood pressure through regulating the RAAS across clinical, pathophysiological, and molecular domains. This study examines Vitamin D deficiency in South Indian hypertensives. Materials and Methods. In this cross-sectional observational study, 500 routine health checkup patients at our clinic were assessed and enrolled. Demographics, symptoms, and lifestyle were collected using a standard questionnaire. Patients with chronic and newly diagnosed hypertension were included in the study. Blood was drawn to test Vitamin D (25-OH) levels. The data was evaluated to compare hypertensives who were already on medication and those who were newly diagnosed. Results. The population showed hypovitaminosis D, with an average Vitamin D level of 20.2 ± 10.3 ng/mL. A considerable number of newly diagnosed hypertensives had Vitamin D deficiency, with an average value of 17.7 ± 8.7 ng/mL. The observed value was significantly lower than the chronic hypertensive group (17.7 ± 8.7 ng/mL vs. 21.4 ±10.9, p <0.001). LDL, HDL, cholesterol, creatinine, and HbA1C levels were not signi­ficantly different across groups. Vitamin D levels were similar for outdoor and indoor workers (p = 0.727). Conclusion. Our study demonstrates there is a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in the hypertensive South Indian population. There were substantially lower levels of Vitamin D identified in those who were newly diagnosed hypertensives compared to chronic hypertensives on treatment.