Vitamin D supplements may lower blood pressure in older people with obesity

Study finds high doses of vitamin D do not provide additional benefits

2024-11-12

(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON—Vitamin D supplements may lower blood pressure in older people with obesity and taking more than the Institutes of Medicine’s (IOM) recommended daily dose does not provide additional health benefits, according to new research published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

The IOM recommends 600 International Units (IU) per day.

Vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide and has been associated with heart disease, immunological diseases, infections and cancer. Studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to a higher risk of hypertension, but evidence for the beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation on blood pressure outcomes is inconclusive.

“Our study found vitamin D supplementation may decrease blood pressure in specific subgroups such older people, people with obesity and possibly those with low vitamin D levels,” said Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, M.D., M.P.H., F.R.C.P., of the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon. “High vitamin D doses compared to the IOM’s recommended daily dose did not provide additional health benefits.”

The researchers studied 221 older people with obesity taking vitamin D supplements at either 600 IU/day or 3,750 IU/day over the course of a year and found supplementation decreased their blood pressure.

The researchers compared the two groups and found higher doses of vitamin D did not provide additional health benefits. They determined people with obesity and those with low vitamin D levels benefited the most.

Other study authors include Maya Rahme of the American University of Beirut Medical Center; Laila Al-Shaar of Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa.; and Hani Tamim of the American University of Beirut Medical Center and the Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This research received financial support from the Office of Dietary Supplements, the University Research Board of the American University of Beirut, the Council for Research of the Saint Joseph University of Beirut, the National Council for Scientific Research, the Mayo Clinic, and the Odense University Hospital.

The manuscript, “Blood Pressure Decreases in Overweight Elderly Individuals on Vitamin D: A Randomized Trial,” was published online.

The Endocrine Society’s Vitamin D Clinical Practice Guideline provides more recommendations for vitamin D supplementation in older adults.

# # #

Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Climate change threatens rare temperate rainforests

2024-11-12

Up to two thirds of the world’s temperate rainforests could fall victim to climate change by the year 2100 according to a new study by researchers at the University of Leeds. In the first ever worldwide assessment of the impacts of global overheating on these rare ecosystems, scientists used maps of tree cover, forest condition, and climate data to assess how much of the world’s temperate rainforests have already been impacted by human activity and how climate change would push some regions to the brink. The results of their study which are published today (Tuesday 12 November) ...

The American Pediatric Society announces its new members for 2025

2024-11-12

The American Pediatric Society (APS) is pleased to announce ninety-eight new members. Founded in 1888, the APS is North America's first and most prestigious academic pediatric organization. APS members are recognized child health leaders of extraordinary achievement who work together to shape the future of academic pediatrics. Current members nominate new members by recognizing individuals who have distinguished themselves as child health leaders, teachers, scholars, policymakers, and clinicians. “The Council of the APS is excited to welcome this large group of child health leaders ...

Leptin signaling and its relationship with obesity-induced insulin resistance

2024-11-12

The World Health Organization describes obesity as an epidemic that disrupts metabolic equilibrium, characterized by an excess of adipose tissue and chronic inflammation. This state arises from various factors, including genetic predispositions and lifestyle choices like high caloric intake and physical inactivity. Leptin, primarily produced by adipose tissue, regulates hunger by signaling satiety to the hypothalamus. However, in obesity, leptin's transport to the brain is often blocked, leading to leptin resistance. ...

A new frontier in diabetes research through lysosomal dysfunction and pancreatic tissue

2024-11-12

A new study published in [Journal] highlights the critical role of lysosomes, cellular organelles responsible for waste disposal and recycling, in the development and progression of diabetes. Researchers from [Institution] have uncovered the complex interplay between lysosomal function and the pathogenesis of various diabetes types, including type 1, type 2, gestational diabetes, and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes. The study, titled “Lysosomal Stress in Pancreatic Endocrine Tissue in the Context of Diabetes Mellitus,” ...

Bioengineered yeast mass produces herbal medicine

2024-11-12

Herbal medicine is difficult to produce on an industrial scale. A team of Kobe University bioengineers manipulated the cellular machinery in a species of yeast so that one such molecule can now be produced in a fermenter at unprecedented concentrations. The achievement also points the way to the microbial production of other plant-derived compounds. Herbal medicinal products offer many beneficial health effects, but they are often unsuitable for mass production. One example is artepillin C, which has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer action, but is only available as a bee culture product. The Kobe University bioengineer ...

Reporting into the void: Research validates victims' doubts about response to phishing reports

2024-11-12

The cybersecurity refrain when encountering phishing emails invariably advises: “don’t click on that link” and “report that email” — but new research from Drexel University and Arizona State University has revealed a problematic reality: Most major companies do little to support reporting and few take action to shut down phishing sites disguised as their own after they have been reported. Recently presented at the International Symposium on Research in Attacks, Intrusions and ...

Decoding Deception: The Psychology of Combating Misinformation

2024-11-12

Decoding Deception: The Psychology of Combating Misinformation, a short film produced by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences with support from the Pulitzer Center, addresses one of the most pressing issues of our time: the quest to stem the swelling tide of misinformation. Decoding Deception explores potential remedies to this growing societal problem. While social media acts as an accelerant for the rampant spread of misinformation on climate change, public health, and politics, the rise of generative AI risks worsening the problem. Left unchecked, disinformation and misinformation can inflict lasting damage on people, institutions, and society ...

Plant green-up and herbivory in Greenland

2024-11-12

A study links herbivory to phenology in the Arctic. Phenology is the study of the timing of events in the natural world. In recent decades, researchers have investigated how climate change is shifting many natural events. Eric Post and colleagues wanted to understand how a different variable—the presence or absence of herbivores—affects the timing of spring plant growth, or green-up, in Greenland. In an experiment lasting nine years, the authors excluded musk oxen and caribou from some areas, then compared the timing of the spring green-up of 9 tundra plant species in the areas with and without herbivores. Of the plants that showed altered green-up between the conditions, about ...

Grandparents help grandkids in many ways – but the reverse may be true too, poll suggests

2024-11-12

As many Americans prepare to gather with their families for the holidays, a new poll shows the importance of grandchildren in grandparents’ lives. The poll also suggests that having grandchildren and seeing them regularly may have a link to older adults’ mental health and risk of loneliness. Although the poll can’t show cause and effect, the findings suggest a need to study the role of grandparenting in older adults’ lives, as part of a broader effort to address social isolation. At ...

Giving robots superhuman vision using radio signals

2024-11-12

In the race to develop robust perception systems for robots, one persistent challenge has been operating in bad weather and harsh conditions. For example, traditional, light-based vision sensors such as cameras or LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) fail in heavy smoke and fog. However, nature has shown that vision doesn't have to be constrained by light’s limitations — many organisms have evolved ways to perceive their environment without relying on light. Bats navigate using the echoes of sound waves, while sharks hunt by sensing electrical fields from their prey's movements. Radio waves, whose wavelengths are orders of magnitude ...

Vitamin D supplements may lower blood pressure in older people with obesity

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: