- With Mayo Clinic emeritus hypertension specialist
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
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Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
Dr. Sheldon Sheps, emeritus professor of medicine and former chair of the Hypertension Division in the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1960.
Dr. Sheps, a Winnipeg, Manitoba, native, is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in hypertension and peripheral vascular diseases. He developed a multidisciplinary approach with specially trained nurses, dietitians, technicians and educators to help form a team approach to the treatment of patients with abnormal blood pressure.
"I have always believed in involving the patient and family in their health care," he says. "I have asked for their understanding of the illness and issues and for participation in decisions. The Web is a natural extension of that, and now many more people can be informed."
Dr. Sheps chaired the sixth working group, and participated in the fourth, fifth and seventh groups, that developed the then-latest guidelines for hypertension under the auspices of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). He helped write the latest American Heart Association (AHA) report on blood pressure measurement. He chaired an AHA group that produced an online accreditation for blood pressure measurement for health professionals. He has co-authored books, newsletters, CD-ROMs and other Mayo Clinic health information material and joined Mayo Clinic's Web team in 1998. He was medical editor-in-chief of both editions of the "Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure" book; the last edition was published in 2003. He was also medical editor-in-chief of "Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure,'' published in 2008.
He was section editor for each of the first three editions of "Hypertension Primer" for the American Heart Association.
Dr. Sheps was also chairman of the Science Base Subcommittee, National High Blood Pressure Education Program, and was a consultant to the Hypertension Initiative of the World Health Organization. In 1997, he was honored with the Individual Achievement Award on the 25th anniversary of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program of NHLBI. In 2009, he was honored as a Distinguished Mayo Alumnus.
Risk factors (2)
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Tests and diagnosis (1)
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Causes (3)
- Coronary artery spasm: What is it?
- Vitamin D deficiency: Can it cause high blood pressure?
- Omega-6 fatty acids: Can they cause heart disease?
Prevention (1)
- Can vitamins help prevent a heart attack?
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Question
Vitamin D deficiency: Can it cause high blood pressure?
Can vitamin D deficiency cause high blood pressure?
Answer
from Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D.
It's long been known that vitamin D deficiency weakens bones. The role vitamin D may play in cardiovascular disease is less clear.
A number of recent studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with cardiovascular disease and a higher risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). However, these results are preliminary and not consistent with various older studies on the topic. It's too early to say whether vitamin D deficiency causes high blood pressure — or whether vitamin D supplements may have any role in the treatment of high blood pressure.
Still, vitamin D remains an important nutrient for overall good health. The National Academy of Sciences currently recommends 200 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day for adults up to age 50. For adults older than age 50, the recommendation increases to 400 to 600 IU a day. However, many researchers now question whether these levels are adequate and assert that a daily intake of 800 to 1,000 IU would benefit many people. Generally, the upper limit for vitamin D is 2,000 IU a day.
If you're concerned that you're getting too little — or too much — vitamin D, contact your doctor. He or she may recommend a blood test to check the level of vitamin D in your blood.
Next questionOmega-6 fatty acids: Can they cause heart disease?
- Sheps SG (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 9, 2008.
- Dietary supplement fact sheet: Vitamin D. Office of Dietary Supplements. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp. Accessed Sept. 5, 2008.
- Wang L, et al. Dietary intake of dairy products, calcium, and vitamin D and the risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women. Hypertension. 2008;51(4):1073-1079.
- Judd SE, et al. Optimal vitamin D status attenuates the age-associated increase in systolic blood pressure in white Americans: Results from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;87(1):136-141.
- Richart T, et al. Renal versus extrarenal activation of vitamin D in relation to atherosclerosis, arterial stiffening, and hypertension. American Journal of Hypertension. 2007;20(9):1007-1015.
- Forman JP, et al. Vitamin D intake and risk of incident hypertension: Results from three large prospective cohort studies. Hypertension. 2005;46(4):676-682.
- Wang TJ, et al. Vitamin D deficiency and risk of cardiovascular disease. Circulation. 2008;117(4):503-511.
