Sasidharan PK
Calicut Medical College, India
Title: Vitamin D -hypertension & lifestyle diseases link
Biography
Biography: Sasidharan PK
Abstract
Hypovitaminosis D is widely prevalent in the Indian populations despite good sunlight exposure. Our landmark study has proven this first in 2000 in patients with tuberculosis and in the apparently normal individuals (Ref1). The role of vitamin D in several diseases is now becoming clearer and its role in hypertension and cardiovascular disease has been proven and studied in some western populations. There are little data on Vitamin D status in hypertensive patients in the Indian context. Aims and Objectives: a) to assess the vitamin D status in patients with essential hypertension and to compare the vitamin D status, dietary intake of vitamin D, physical activity and sunlight exposure among hypertensives and age and gender matched normotensive controls. b) To correlate vitamin D levels with dietary intake, physical activity, BMI and daily sunlight exposure. Materials and Methods: 55 subjects and 32 controls were studied over a period of nine months from December 2011 to August 2012. Their 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D levels, daily sunlight exposure, dietary intake, physical activity were assessed and subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The mean 25(OH) D levels for hypertensives were found to be 17.07 ± 9.72 ng/ml while in the normotensive controls were 22 ± 10 ng/ml (p=0.027). Only 20 % of the total population ie cases and controls had sufficient levels above 30 ng/ml. Higher dietary intake ie >200 IU/day were found to have lesser incidence of hypertension.