Blood pressure regulation and micronutrients

This review attempts to delineate the underlying mechanisms leading to the development of hypertension as well as the function of vitamins and mineral s in the regulation of blood pressure. Physiological processes that regulat e cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance impact on the control of blood pressure. Metabolic abnormalities associated with the tetrad of hyper tension, dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance and obesity share insulin resis tance, which might be organ or cell specific, as an underlying feature repr esenting different tissue manifestation of a common cellular ionic defect. As Ca is at the centre of ionic regulation of cellular functions, vitamins involved in Ca regulation have a significant role in the control of blood p ressure. The endothelium-dependent vasodilator, NO, is susceptible to oxida tive damage. Hence, antioxidant vitamins and related factors regulate blood pressure through protection of NO. Robust evidence for the involvement of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E in the regulat ion of blood pressure have been reported. The well-known roles of Na, K, Ca , Mg and Cl have been explored further. The action of various vitamins on b lood pressure regulation cannot always be explained on the basis of their c onventionally recognised 'vitamin function'. The non-traditional functions of vitamins and their derivatives can be exploited as an adjunct to availab le pharmacological modalities in the treatment of hypertension.