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No association found between metabolic health status, vitamin D deficiency in people with obesity
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Vitamin D deficiency does not appear to be associated with metabolic health status in people with obesity however, it does seem to be correlated with the extent of adiposity, according to researchers.
Caroline M. Apovian, MD, FACP, FACN, of Boston University School of Medicine, and colleagues evaluated medical records of 191 patients at the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center. The average BMI was 43 kg/m2. The blood tests taken at baseline were comprehensive metabolic panel, lipid profile, HbA1c, insulin level and 25-hydroxyviatmin D (25-(OH)D) levels. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) criteria were used to categorize patients as metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO).
Caroline M. Apovian
Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-(OH)D levels <20 ng/ml, vitamin D insufficiency was defined as 21-29 ng/ml and vitamin D sufficient was defined as ≥30 ng/ml.
Thirty-three percent of the patients were classified as MHO. The MHO patients had lower BMI and waist circumferences compared with MUO patients. No significant differences were found between 25-(OH)D levels between the groups (P=.242).
Nearly half (48.7%) of patients were vitamin D deficient and 33% were insufficient. An inverse relationship was identified between 25-(OH)D levels and BMI, body waist, waist circumference and HbA1c levels. However, this relationship was not seen between 25-(OH)D and blood pressure, total cholesterol or triglycerides.
According to the researchers, these findings add to the overall knowledge of the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and obesity, but further studies of vitamin D and metabolic health status are needed.
“In conclusion, our data confirm the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in extremely obese individuals,” the researchers wrote. “[Vitamin D] levels were not related to metabolic health status but correlated with the degree of adiposity. Future large, interventional trials with vitamin D supplementation and measurement of health outcomes may help clarify a relationship between vitamin D and [insulin resistance] or metabolic health status in obese individuals.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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