Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Metabolic Syndrome
Lee Swanson Research Update
Increasing blood levels of vitamin D are linked to a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome, as well as improved "good" cholesterol levels. According to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, the lowest levels of the sunshine vitamin were associated with a 31% prevalence of metabolic syndrome, compared to only 10% for people with the highest average levels.
"Although previous surveys have also reported associations between low 25(OH)D concentration and metabolic syndrome components, to our knowledge, the present investigation is the first to report this finding in a sample with a high prevalence of vitamin D dietary supplement users in which frequencies of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were low," wrote the researchers, led by Kevin Maki from Illinois-based Provident Clinical Research.
Metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by central obesity, hypertension and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. The syndrome has been linked to increased risks of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The researchers analyzed vitamin D levels in the blood of 257 men and women over 18 years old. Dietary and supplementary intakes were assessed using food frequency and dietary supplement questionnaires, said the researchers. Their results showed that vitamin D blood levels were associated with HDL cholesterol levels.
"The most notable finding from the present study was the strong relationship between serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and HDL-C concentrations," the researchers wrote. "Each 10 ng/mL increment in 25(OH)D was associated with an increase of 3.8 to 4.2 mg/dL in HDL-C…This is of considerable potential importance given that each 1 mg/dL increment in HDL-C is associated with a four to six percent reduction in coronary heart disease risk."
They also observed inverse associations between vitamin D levels and triglyceride levels, body mass index and waist circumference, meaning that higher vitamin D levels were associated with lower values for these measurables.
Journal of Clinical Lipidology Published online ahead of print.