Ganji V et al. – On the basis of assay–adjusted data, serum 25–hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was significantly associated with several cardiometabolic risk factors regardless of obesity. In children, given the negative outcomes associated with poor vitamin D status and metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), consideration of vitamin D supplementation in reversing cardiometabolic risk factors appears to be warranted.

• This study was based on newly updated serum 25(OH)D data, which were released by the National Center for Health Statistics in November 2010.
• Data from 3 cycles of NHANES (2001–2002, 2003–2004, and 2005–2006) for 5867 adolescents, aged 12–19 y, were used to study the association, by multivariate–adjusted regression, between serum 25(OH)D and prevalence of MetSyn and several cardiometabolic risk factors.

• The likelihood of having MetSyn was significantly higher in the first tertile of serum 25(OH)D than in the third tertile of 25(OH)D (odds ratio: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.11, 2.65; P < 0.01).
• Waist circumference (P < 0.0001), systolic blood pressure (P = 0.01), and homeostatic model assessment–insulin resistance index (P = 0.001) were inversely related and HDL cholesterol (P < 0.0001) was directly related with serum 25(OH)D.
• No association was observed between 25(OH)D and C–reactive protein (P = 0.18).