Abstract
Vitamin D is associated with established cardiovascular risk factors such as low density lipoprotein (LDL) in adults. It is unknown whether these associations are present in early childhood. To determine whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is associated with serum non-high density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol during early childhood we conducted a cross-sectional study of children aged 1 to 5 years. Healthy children were recruited through the TARGet Kids! practice based research network from 2008-2011 (n=1,961). The associations between 25(OH)D and non-fasting non-HDL cholesterol (the primary endpoint), total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, were evaluated using multiple linear regression adjusted for age, sex, skin pigmentation, milk intake, vitamin D supplementation, season, body mass index, outdoor play, and screen time. Each 10 nmol/L increase in 25(OH)D was associated with a decrease in non-HDL cholesterol concentration of -0.89 mg/dl (95% CI: -1.16,-0.50), total cholesterol of -1.08 mg/dl (95%CI: -1.49,-0.70), and triglycerides of -2.34 mg/dl (95%CI: -3.23,-1.45). The associations between 25(OH)D and LDL and HDL were not statistically significant. 25(OH)D concentrations were inversely associated with circulating lipids in early childhood, suggesting that vitamin D exposure in early life may be an early modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Highlights
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States and Canada and places the greatest burden of any disease on health care systems.[1]
Our findings suggest that vitamin D, as measured from serum 25(OH)D concentrations, is associated with non-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, as well as non-fasting triglycerides and total cholesterol during early childhood, surrogate markers for adult cardiovascular disease
ATo convert from mg/dL to SI units divide the results for non-HDL, Total Cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL by 38.6, and divide by 88.6 for triglycerides. bAbnormal cut-point values for plasma lipid levels are from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Cholesterol Levels in Children
Summary
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States and Canada and places the greatest burden of any disease on health care systems.[1]. Funding agencies had no role in the design, collection, analyses or interpretation of data, the writing of the report, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication
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