The world pandemic of Vitamin D deficit could possibly be explained by cellular inflammatory response activity induced by the renin angiotensin system.
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol January 30, 2013
Marcelo Ferder 1, Felipe Inserra 2, Walter Manucha 3, and Leon Ferder 4, leferder@psm.edu
1University of Buenos Aires
2Austral University of Buenos Aires
3Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
4Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Submitted 7 November 2011; Revision received 3 January 2013; Accepted 23 January 2013.
This review attempts to show that there may be a relationship between inflammatory processes induced by chronic overstimulation of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) and the worldwide vitamin D (VitD) deficiency, and probably both disorders are associated with environmental factors.
Low VitD levels represent a risk factor for several apparently different diseases such as
- infectious,
- autoimmune,
- neurodegenerative, and
- cardiovascular diseases, as well as
- diabetes,
- osteoporosis, and
- cancer.
Moreover, VitD insufficiency seems to predispose
- hypertension,
- metabolic syndrome,
- left ventricular hypertrophy,
- heart failure, and
- chronic vascular inflammation.
On the other hand, the inappropriate stimulation of the RAS has been associated with the pathogenesis of
- hypertension,
- heart attack,
- stroke, and
- hypertrophy of both the left ventricle and vascular smooth muscle cells.
A possible link between VitD and the RAS is even more plausible when taking into account that VitD (VDR) and RAS receptors are distributed in almost the same tissues.
From an evolutionary point of view, both systems were developed simultaneously, having an active participation in the regulation of inflammatory and immunological mechanisms.
Changes in RAS activity and activation of VDR seem to be inversely related, making it possible to speculate that both systems could have a feedback relationship.
In fact, the pandemic of VitD deficiency could be the other face of increased RAS activity, which could potentially cause a lower activity or lower levels of VitD.
Finally, from a therapeutic point of view, the combination of RAS blockade and VDR stimulation appears to be more effective than each one used individually.
Wikipedia
The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) or the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) is a hormone system that regulates blood pressure and water (fluid) balance.
Comment by VitaminDWiki
Have not seen this hypothesis before
RAS is implicated with Hypertension and low vitamin D
Hypothesis does not seem to cover many of the aspects of vitamin D deficiency