title: The role of vitamin D in blood pressure, endothelial and renal function in postmenopausal women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D is a pro-hormone that plays an essential role in the vasculature and in kidney function.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review the extra-skeletal effects of vitamin D on blood pressure, endothelial and renal function with emphasis on recent findings in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Included in this review was a PubMed database search for English language articles through March 2013. This review discussed the physiology and definition of vitamin D deficiency, the recent evidence for the role vitamin D in blood pressure, vascular and renal function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Experimental and epidemiological data suggest that vitamin D plays an important role in the vasculature and in kidney function. Low vitamin D concentrations appear to significantly associate with hypertension, endothelial and renal dysfunction. However, the results of clinical trials have generally been mixed. Studies specifically conducted among postmenopausal women are limited and findings are still inconsistent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Definitive studies are warranted to elucidate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on vascular and renal function and a more detailed work is needed to outline the route, duration and optimal dose of supplementation. It is premature to recommend vitamin D as a therapeutic option in the improvement of vascular and renal function at the current stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China. liuzhaomin@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Zhao-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Sheng-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Suzanne C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D016208:Databases, Factual; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004727:Endothelium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D