Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, obesity and the metabolic syndrome among Korean children
Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 07/05/2012
Lee SH et al. – Authors found low vitamin D levels in Korean children to be associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Insufficient serum vitamin D levels in children may be a risk factor of obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Methods- Authors recruited 1660, nine–year–old, Korean children (904 boys and 756 girls) who voluntarily participated in this study while being examined during school–based health examinations.
- They measured anthropometric variables (height and weight), metabolic parameters (blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, and HDL cholesterol levels) and serum vitamin D levels.
- They analyzed the data using multivariate logistic regression models.
- Mean 25(OH)D levels were lower in children defined as obese or abdominally obese (P < 0.001).
- When serum levels of 25(OH)D were divided into quartiles, BMI, waist circumference, and triglyceride levels were lower, and HDL cholesterol levels were higher, as vitamin D levels increased.
- Using children from the highest quartile of 25(OH)D levels as a referent, the adjusted ORs (95% CI) for obesity in those in the third, second, and lowest quartiles of 25(OH)D levels were 1.55 (1.01–2.40), 1.87 (1.22–2.85), and 2.59 (1.71–3.90), respectively (P for trend <0.001).
- For abdominal obesity the ORs (CI) were 2.08 (1.20–3.60), 2.32 (1.36–3.95), and 2.96 (1.75–5.00) (P for trend<0.001), and for metabolic syndrome they were 2.60 (1.08–6.30), 4.00 (1.73–9.26), and 4.25 (1.84–9.85), respectively (P for trend <0.05).
