Poor vitamin D status is associated with increased risk for metabolic syndrome (MeS), diabetes mellitus (DM), and several unfavorable cardiometabolic markers in US adults

Abstract

We investigated the relation between serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration and prevalence of MeS and DM and concentrations of cardiometabolic biomarkers in >19 y old persons using recently‐released data from NHANES, 2001–2006 (n=8241). The prevalence of MeS and DM were significantly higher in the serum 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L group (MeS, 45.5%; DM, 21.6%) compared to the serum 25(OH)D ≥75 nmol/L group (MeS, 11.6%; DM, 4.1%) (P<.001). The likelihood of having MeS (adjusted OR, 2.89; 95%CI, 2.07, 4.03) and DM (adjusted OR, 1.69; 95%CI, 1.18, 2.42) were significantly higher in the serum 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L group compared to the serum 25(OH)D ≥75 nmol/L group (P<.001). In multivariate‐adjusted analysis, the group with serum 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L had significantly higher waist circumference, glycohemoglobin (HbA1), triglycerides, insulin, C‐peptide, C‐reactive protein, and HOMA‐IR and had significantly lower VO2max compared to the group with serum 25(OH)D ≥75 nmol/L (P<.001). We conclude that persons with vitamin D deficiency are significantly higher risk for MeS and DM compared to those with vitamin D sufficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is related to several cardiometabolic risk factors. Given the association between vitamin D deficiency and poor health outcomes in these most recent NHANESs and past NHANES, studies focusing on correction of vitamin D deficiency in reducing cardiometabolic risk are needed.