Elevated systolic blood pressure of children in the United States is associated with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations related to body mass index: National Health and Examination Survey 2007-2010

A negative association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamn D (25OH]D) concentrations and blood pressure has been found in adults; whether a similar relationship exists in children remains unclear. We hypothesized that serum 25(OH)D concentrations of children would negatively correlate with blood pressure. Using a nationally representative sample of children aged 8 to 18 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2010 (n = 2908), we compared serum 25(OH)D levels with diastolic and systolic blood pressure by vitamin D nutritional status categories. A high percentage of children were either vitamin D deficient (28.8%) or vitamin D insufficient (48.8%). Prehypertension was defined as blood pressure as ≥90th to <95th percentile and hypertension as ≥95th percentile by age, height, and sex national blood pressure percentile norms for children. Vitamin D–deficient children aged 8 to 13 years had higher systolic blood pressure (104.8 ± 0.7 mm Hg) than did vitamin D–sufficient children (102.3 ± 0.6 mmHg; P < .05). Controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and income, systolic blood pressure was inversely associated with serum 25(OH)D concentrations (P < .03), but not when also controlling for body mass index (P = .63). A higher percentage of vitamin D–deficient and vitamin D–insufficient children (1.7%) vs vitamin D–sufficient children (0.6%) had prehypertension or hypertension. In conclusion, the association of low serum 25(OH)D concentrations with elevated systolic blood pressure in children is likely related to body weight and markers of adiposity.