Abstract
PurposeVitamin D deficiency is a common condition that is associated with diabetes and insulin resistance. However, the association between vitamin D and insulin resistance has not been fully studied, especially in the general adolescent population. Therefore, we assessed the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level and insulin resistance among apparently healthy Korean adolescents.MethodsA total of 260 (135 male and 125 female) adolescents in a rural high school were assessed for serum 25(OH)D, fasting plasma glucose, and insulin. All of the participants were aged 15 to 16 years old, and without known hypertension or diabetes. Serum 25(OH)D was analyzed both as a continuous and categorical variable in association with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance was estimated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). Increased insulin resistance was operationally defined as a HOMA-IR value higher than the sex-specific 75th percentile.ResultsIn male adolescents, every 10 ng/ml decrease in 25(OH)D level was associated with a 0.25 unit increase in HOMA-IR (p = 0.003) after adjusting for age and BMI. Compared to those in the highest quartile, male adolescents in the lowest 25(OH)D quartile were at significantly higher risk for insulin resistance: unadjusted odds ratio 4.06 (95% CI, 1.26 to 13.07); age and BMI adjusted odds ratio 3.59 (95% CI, 1.03 to 12.57). However, 25(OH)D level, either in continuous or categorical measure, was not significantly associated with insulin resistance among female adolescents.ConclusionsThis study suggests that serum 25(OH)D level may be inversely associated with insulin resistance in healthy male adolescents.
Highlights
Vitamin D is an important fat-soluble vitamin that functions in calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and affects bone mineralization
Functions of vitamin D are not limited to skeletal effects, and a non-skeletal action under active investigation is the role of vitamin D in insulin or glucose metabolism [1]
Vitamin D status may play a functional role in glucose homeostasis as in vitro and in vivo studies have provided biological evidence of its effects on insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity [2,3,4,5,6]
Summary
Vitamin D is an important fat-soluble vitamin that functions in calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and affects bone mineralization. Functions of vitamin D are not limited to skeletal effects, and a non-skeletal action under active investigation is the role of vitamin D in insulin or glucose metabolism [1]. Vitamin D status may play a functional role in glucose homeostasis as in vitro and in vivo studies have provided biological evidence of its effects on insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity [2,3,4,5,6]. Several epidemiological studies have reported associations between low vitamin D status, as indicated by circulating serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], and the risk of type 2 diabetes [7,8,9,10], others have not found such an association [11,12].
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