Vitamin D Deficiency is Associated with Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are highly interrelated abnormalities seeking multidisciplinary public health interventions. Vitamin D has recently gained attention as a protective factor for MetS, IR, DM and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, there is no clearly defined mechanism of action, and supplementation guidelines on vitamin D (VD) in either prevention or treatment against MetS, IR, DM and CVD. The purpose of this study is to determine the strength of association between VD and MetS, IR, and DM in the general U.S. population. Methods: The study was done using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006 data. NHANES data represent the civilian, non-institutionalized US population. Subject recruitment was based on a multistage, stratified sampling method. Regression models were used to determine the relationship of vitamin D with DM, MetS and IR. Results: We found a consistent observation in which VD deficiency was significantly associated with DM (OR=2.16), MetS (OR=2.09) and IR (OR=1.83). Female gender, older age, and overweight - all positively associated with DM, MetS or IR. Conclusion: The inverse relationship of VD status with MetS, IR and DM indicates a strong support of increasing vitamin D intake as an inexpensive intervention strategy in the national endeavor to reduce the burden of MetS, IR, DM, and its complications.