Lightning Talk + Poster ESA-SRB-ANZOS 2025 in conjunction with ENSA

Does exercise augment the effects of vitamin D supplementation on blood pressure and arterial stiffness? Results from a randomised controlled trial (128108)

Alexander J Rodriguez 1 , Jakub Mesinovic 2 , Cecilia Xu 3 , Mavil May Cervo 1 , Anoohya Gandham 4 , Peter R Ebeling 1 , David Scott 2
  1. Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
  2. Deakin University, Melbourne
  3. Austin Health, Melbourne
  4. Australian Catholic University, Melbourne

Background: We report on the vascular outcomes of a vitamin D and exercise pilot trial in overweight/obese older adults with vitamin D deficiency.

Methods: Fifty individuals {19 (38%) men (median [95%CI] age: 58 [55 to 63] years; BMI 28. 5 [26.9 to 33.4] kg/m2)} with 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 50 nmol/L were randomly allocated to receive either vitamin D3 (4,000 IU/day) or placebo for 24 weeks. Between weeks 12 - 24, all participants completed multimodal exercise while continuing with treatment. Mean changes in systolic (SBP), central SBP (cSBP), diastolic (DBP), central DBP (cDBP) and mean arterial (MAP) blood pressures (in mmHg)), heart rate (HR) as well as pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix) at weeks 12 and 24 were compared between groups. Analyses were conducted in the full cohort and in those with good adherence to the programme; and with outliers excluded. Registration: ACTRN12616000563460.

Results: Vitamin D- and exercise-related changes in vascular outcomes did not differ between groups at 12 or 24 weeks. However, vitamin D supplementation alone appeared to (non-significantly) improve SBP [-7.03mmHg (-19.8 to 5.8)], cSBP [-7.38 mmHg (-17.2 to 2.4)], PP [-6.18 mmHg (-15 to 2.7)], HR [-3.84bpm (- 12 to 4.3)] and Aix [-7.02% (-15.3 to 1.3)] but these changes were attenuated with the addition of exercise.

Interpretation: Vitamin D supplementation alone had potentially favourable but small effects on some vascular markers in overweight/obese older adults with vitamin D deficiency, but the addition of exercise appeared to add no further benefit.