Abstract
BackgroundVitamin D deficiency is associated with a variety of chronic metabolic diseases. Limited evidence regarding vitamin D deficiency exists within the Chinese population. The present study aims to examine the association between serum vitamin D concentrations and cardiometabolic risk factors in the young and middle-aged, urban Chinese populationMethodsThe cross-sectional relationships between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and indices of adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors (e.g., body mass index, waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, etc.) were evaluated in 601 non-diabetic adults.ResultVitamin D deficiency or insufficiency was present in 66% of the tested population, and serum 25(OH)D levels were lower in patients who were overweight/obese or suffered metabolic syndrome when compared to individuals of healthy weight without metabolic syndrome (24.08 ± 8.08 vs 31.70 ± 11.77 ng/ml, 21.52 ± 6.9 vs 31.74 ± 10.21 ng/ml respectively). 25(OH)D was inversely associated with waist circumference, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, and it was positively associated with HDL-cholesterol in a multivariable-adjusted regression model.ConclusionVitamin D deficiency is common in the young and middle-aged, urban Chinese population, with high prevalence in overweight/obese individuals and patients with metabolic syndrome. Low vitamin D concentration was associated with indices of adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the cause-effect relation between vitamin D status, obesity and related metabolic disorders.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials (ISRCTN21527585)
Highlights
Altered vitamin D homeostasis is associated with increased risk of developing obesity [1,2,3,4], hypertension [5,6], glucose intolerance and metabolic syndrome [7]
Low vitamin D concentration was associated with indices of adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors
One fourth of the participants were female, and the mean 25(OH)D concentration was 26.91 ng/ml. 398 subjects (66%) had 25(OH)D concentrations of 30 ng/ml or less, and vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D concentration < 20 ng/ml) was present in 172 subjects (28.6%). 63% of the cohort were overweight/obese, and 44% of the tested population suffered from metabolic syndrome
Summary
Altered vitamin D homeostasis is associated with increased risk of developing obesity [1,2,3,4], hypertension [5,6], glucose intolerance and metabolic syndrome [7]. Vitamin D status, which was assessed by serum 25hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, differs among ethnic groups, with African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians, having a greater prevalence of hypovitaminosis D [9,10]. The relationship between hypovitaminosis D and metabolic traits, such as insulin resistance, appear to vary among different ethnicities. NHANES III data [12] showed an inverse association between vitamin D status and insulin resistance in non-Hispanic whites and Mexican Americans, but the inverse relationship did not hold in African-Americans Americans. Limited evidence regarding vitamin D deficiency exists within the Chinese population. The present study aims to examine the association between serum vitamin D concentrations and cardiometabolic risk factors in the young and middle-aged, urban Chinese population
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