High blood pressure is a serious health issue affecting people all around the world. Sometimes, even with the help of several medications, blood pressure remains too high.
But a new study led by the University of Maine brings hope—using Vitamin B might help lower blood pressure, especially in tough cases.
The study focused on people with drug-resistant high blood pressure. This means their blood pressure stays high even when they take multiple medications. About 12.8% of people globally deal with this problem.
Doctors usually aim to get blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg, but new rules suggest aiming even lower—to 130/80 mmHg. That makes managing it even harder.
So, what’s the connection between Vitamin B and blood pressure? It’s all about something called homocysteine. This is a substance our bodies make, and when its levels get too high, it can cause trouble.
High homocysteine levels usually mean we’re not getting enough B vitamins like B6, B12, folate, or B2 (riboflavin). Some people may also have genetic issues that raise homocysteine.
When homocysteine is too high, it affects the body’s ability to make nitrous oxide—a compound that helps relax blood vessels. Without enough nitrous oxide, blood vessels tighten up, making blood pressure rise.
The researchers reviewed many earlier studies and found that taking B vitamins—not just from food, but also as supplements—can help lower blood pressure by 6 to 13 mmHg. This method was especially helpful for people whose blood pressure stayed high even with medication. It was also found to be safe.
One issue the study pointed out is that many labs currently say homocysteine levels up to 11.4 μmol/L are normal. But some experts think that’s too high and suggest the limit should be 10 μmol/L or lower. This means that some people who are told their levels are “normal” might still be at risk.
The takeaway? Taking B vitamins could be an easy and affordable way to help manage high blood pressure—especially if medications alone aren’t working. But it’s very important to do this under the guidance of a doctor. Taking too much of certain vitamins without advice could cause problems.
In conclusion, this study shows that Vitamin B may offer a natural way to support better blood pressure control. It won’t replace medicine, but it could be a helpful addition. If future research supports these findings, doctors may start including vitamin treatments as part of regular care for people with high blood pressure.
As always, talk to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment plan. They can help you decide what’s safe and what will work best for you.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about Intensive blood pressure treatment for older adults may harm heart and kidneys and What you should know about high blood pressure medications.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies about High blood pressure and marijuana: a risky combination and Common blood pressure drug may not prevent heart attack effectively.
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