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.

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.

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.

April 07, 2023 See more Expert Answers

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 pressure tip: Get more potassium
  27. Blood sugar levels can fluctuate for many reasons
  28. Blood sugar testing: Why, when and how
  29. Bone and joint problems associated with diabetes
  30. How kidneys work
  31. Bump on the head: When is it a serious head injury?
  32. Caffeine and hypertension
  33. Calcium channel blockers
  34. Calcium supplements: Do they interfere with blood pressure drugs?
  35. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  36. Central-acting agents
  37. Choosing blood pressure medicines
  38. Chronic daily headaches
  39. Chronic kidney disease
  40. Chronic kidney disease: Is a clinical trial right for me?
  41. Coarctation of the aorta
  42. COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
  43. Cushing syndrome
  44. DASH diet
  45. DASH diet: Recommended servings
  46. Sample DASH menus
  47. Diabetes
  48. Diabetes and depression: Coping with the two conditions
  49. Diabetes and exercise: When to monitor your blood sugar
  50. Diabetes and heat
  51. 10 ways to avoid diabetes complications
  52. Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
  53. Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan
  54. Diabetes foods: Can I substitute honey for sugar?
  55. Diabetes and liver
  56. Diabetes management: How lifestyle, daily routine affect blood sugar
  57. Diabetes symptoms
  58. Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
  59. Using insulin
  60. Diuretics
  61. Diuretics: A cause of low potassium?
  62. Diuretics: Cause of gout?
  63. Dizziness
  64. Do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
  65. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
  66. Eating right for chronic kidney disease
  67. High blood pressure and exercise
  68. Fibromuscular dysplasia
  69. Free blood pressure machines: Are they accurate?
  70. Home blood pressure monitoring
  71. Glomerulonephritis
  72. Glycemic index: A helpful tool for diabetes?
  73. Guillain-Barre syndrome
  74. Headaches and hormones
  75. Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
  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 for opioid withdrawal
  96. L-arginine: Does it lower blood pressure?
  97. Late-night eating: OK if you have diabetes?
  98. Lead poisoning
  99. Living with IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease) and C3G
  100. Low-phosphorus diet: Helpful for kidney disease?
  101. Medications and supplements that can raise your blood pressure
  102. Menopause and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
  103. Molar pregnancy
  104. MRI: Is gadolinium safe for people with kidney problems?
  105. New Test for Preeclampsia
  106. Nighttime headaches: Relief
  107. Nosebleeds
  108. Obstructive sleep apnea
  109. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
  110. Opioid stewardship: What is it?
  111. Pain Management
  112. Pheochromocytoma
  113. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  114. Pituitary tumors
  115. Polycystic kidney disease
  116. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  117. Poppy seed tea: Beneficial or dangerous?
  118. Porphyria
  119. Postpartum preeclampsia
  120. Preeclampsia
  121. Prescription drug abuse
  122. Primary aldosteronism
  123. Pulse pressure: An indicator of heart health?
  124. Mayo Clinic Minute: Rattlesnakes, scorpions and other desert dangers
  125. Reactive hypoglycemia: What can I do?
  126. Renal diet for vegetarians
  127. Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure?
  128. Scorpion sting
  129. Secondary hypertension
  130. Serotonin syndrome
  131. Sleep deprivation: A cause of high blood pressure?
  132. Sleep tips
  133. Snoring
  134. Sodium
  135. Spider bites
  136. Stress and high blood pressure
  137. Symptom Checker
  138. Takayasu's arteritis
  139. Tapering off opioids: When and how
  140. Tetanus
  141. Tetanus shots: Is it risky to receive 'extra' boosters?
  142. The dawn phenomenon: What can you do?
  143. Understanding complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G)
  144. Understanding IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease)
  145. Vasodilators
  146. Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
  147. Vesicoureteral reflux
  148. Video: Heart and circulatory system
  149. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
  150. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
  151. Obstructive sleep apnea: What happens?
  152. What is blood pressure?
  153. What are opioids and why are they dangerous?
  154. White coat hypertension
  155. Wrist blood pressure monitors: Are they accurate?
  156. Xylazine
  157. Effectively managing chronic kidney disease