Pregnancy Complications may be Related to Low Vitamin D Levels

 

 

Studies have linked low vitamin D levels to an increased risk of many diseases, including type 1 diabetes, asthma, heart disease, certain cancers and depression. A new study has found that women who develop a severe form of pregnancy-related high blood pressure tend to have lower blood levels of vitamin D than healthy pregnant women.

Preeclampsia is a syndrome marked by a sudden increase in blood pressure and kidney dysfunction. Early-onset severe preeclampsia is a particularly serious form that arises before the 34th week of pregnancy.

In a recent study, researchers compared vitamin D levels in 50 women with early severe preeclampsia to vitamin D levels of 100 healthy pregnant women. The average vitamin D level in the preeclampsia group was 18 ng/mL compared to an average of 32 ng/mL in the healthy group. A 10 ng/mL increase in vitamin D levels was linked to a 63 percent reduction in risk of the complication.

Since total vitamin D levels in the blood seem to be linked to an increase in this pregnancy complication, further study is needed to understand the impact of vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy outcomes.