Vitamin D can boost vascular function in kidney patients: study

New Delhi: Supplementation of Vitamin D improves vascular function and reduces inflammation in patients with early stage of chronic kidney disease, according to a new study.

Simple identification and correction of Vitamin D deficiency has the potential to improve the outcomes among kidney patients, said the study conducted by researchers from the George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi and the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.

The study has been presented at the ongoing American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2015 (November 3-8) in San Diego.

In a randomised controlled trial, under direct supervision, the researchers gave two doses of 300,000 units of Vitamin D to one group (consisting of 60 patients) eight weeks apart whereas the patients in the other group (60 patients) received matching placebo. "Several parameters of vascular function and biomarkers to measure status of inflammatory and immune activation were studied at baseline and after 16 weeks, Vitamin D levels increased in patients in the active treatment group whereas there was no change in the control arm.

"About 70 per cent of patients receiving Vitamin D demonstrated significant improvement in their vascular functions and improvement in biomarkers indicating reduction in the level of inflammatory and immune activation," said Professor Vivekanand Jha, the Executive Director of the George Institute for Global Health who led the study. In the placebo arm only five per cent patients showed improved vascular function and there was no change in the inflammatory and immune markers, Jha said.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with chronic kidney disease. Our study shows that simply identifying and correcting this abnormality has the potential to improve the outcomes in these patients, said Dr Vivek Kumar, Nephrologist, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh and the first author of the study.

"About one in 10 persons suffer from chronic kidney disease around the world. Most of these patients are destined to develop premature cardiovascular disease, hence mitigation of this risk is an important therapeutic goal," added Jha.