Vitamin D and nifedipine in the treatment of Chinese patients with grades I-II essential hypertension: A randomized placebo-controlled trial

- We planned to research the effect of vitamin D and nifedipine in the treatment of patients with essential hypertension.
- Vitamin D supplementation can reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
- Vitamin D supplementation can be an adjuvant therapy for patients with grade I to II essential hypertension.

ObjectivesLow vitamin D status has been shown to be associated with hypertension. We planned to research the effect of vitamin D and nifedipine in the treatment of patients with essential hypertension.MethodsPatients with grades I-II essential hypertension were enrolled in this single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Beijing. All patients received a conventional antihypertensive drug (nifedipine, 30 mg/d). One hundred and twenty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive vitamin D (n = 63, 2000 IU/d) or a placebo (n = 63) as an add-on to nifedipine, by the method of permutated block randomization. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed at baseline (month 0), at month 3 and at month 6.ResultsIn vitamin D supplementation group, there was a significant increase in mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels from baseline (19.4 ± 11.6 ng/ml) to 6 months (34.1 ± 12.2 ng/ml; p < 0.001). At 6 months, the primary end points, a difference in the fall of 24-h mean blood pressure, between the groups was −6.2 mm Hg (95% CI −11.2; −1.1) for systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001) and −4.2 mm Hg (95% CI −8.8; −0.3) for diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001) under intention to treat analysis. In patients with vitamin D <30 ng/ml at baseline (n = 113), 24-h mean blood pressure decreased by 7.1/5.7 mm Hg (p < 0.001). Safety and tolerability were similar among the two groups.ConclusionsVitamin D supplementation can reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension, it can be an adjuvant therapy for patients with grades I-II essential hypertension.Clinical Trial Registration: This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, it is available in Website: http://www.chictr.org/cn/; Registration number: ChiCTR-ONC-13003840.