Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, obesity and the metabolic syndrome among Korean children.
BACKGROUND AND AIM
Evidence of the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and cardiovascular risk factors in children is limited. We investigated the associations between serum vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]) and obesity and metabolic syndrome and its components in Korean children.


METHODS AND RESULTS
We 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. We measured anthropometric variables (height and weight), metabolic parameters (blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, and HDL cholesterol levels) and serum vitamin D levels. We 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).


CONCLUSIONS
We 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.
['Lee|S H|SH|', 'Kim|S M|SM|', 'Park|H S|HS|', 'Choi|K M|KM|', 'Cho|G J|GJ|', 'Ko|B J|BJ|', 'Kim|J H|JH|']
D044466:Asians D001786:Blood Glucose D015992:Body Mass Index D001835:Body Weight D002648:Child D008076:Cholesterol, HDL D008078:Cholesterol, LDL D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D005215:Fasting D005260:Female D006801:Humans D016015:Logistic Models D008297:Male D024821:Metabolic Syndrome D015999:Multivariate Analysis D009749:Nutrition Surveys D009765:Obesity D056910:Republic of Korea D012307:Risk Factors D014280:Triglycerides D014807:Vitamin D D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency D055105:Waist Circumference
25-hydroxyvitamin D Obesity Metabolic syndrome Metabolic syndrome Vitamin D 25(OH)D HDL BMI ATP III KMOSES LDL MetS NCEP National Cholesterol Education Program The Korean Metabolic Disorders and Obesity Study in Elementary School Children adult treatment panel III body mass index high density lipoprotein low density lipoprotein metabolic syndrome