Vitamin D deficiency elevates risk of Metabolic Syndrome in children, finds study

In a new study conducted by Mostafa Qorbani and colleagues, it was discovered that vitamin D insufficiency was linked to an elevated risk of Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in the Iranian juvenile population. These findings emphasize the importance of preventing and controlling vitamin D insufficiency in noncommunicable disease (NCD) preventive strategies.

These findings were published in the journal of BMC Nutrition on 17th November, 2021.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) develops in childhood and is one of the major underlying causes of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in adulthood. There is conflicting data about the impact of vitamin D deficiency in raising the incidence of pediatric MetS. The purpose of this study was to look at the association between vitamin D levels and MetS and its components in children and adolescents.

This statewide cross-sectional survey was conducted in Iran as part of a monitoring program. Participants were 2596 students ranging in age from 7 to 18 years old and lived in 30 provinces. A physical examination was performed, and blood samples were obtained, in addition to the completion of questionnaires. The direct competitive immunoassay chemiluminescence technique was used to determine the blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D).

The result stated as follows:

• Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were found in 10.6% (n = 276) and 60.5% (n = 1570) of subjects, respectively.
• MetS was more prevalent in the vitamin D deficient group.
• Students with low vitamin D levels had a greater risk of MetS, abdominal obesity, poor high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and high fasting blood sugar (FBS) than those with adequate vitamin D levels.
  
• The prevalence of MetS was shown to be inversely related to plasma vitamin D levels.
• Furthermore, plasma vitamin D was shown to be negatively associated with a number of MetS components.
• The vitamin D deficient group had greater levels of FBG, low HDL-C, and high triglycerides (TG), and abdominal adiposity than the vitamin D adequate and insufficient groups.
  

In conclusion, in children and adolescents, the current investigation found an inverse relationship between plasma vitamin D levels and cardiometabolic risk factors. More study is needed to establish a causal relationship and evaluate if low blood vitamin D levels in childhood impact the development of cardiovascular illnesses later in life.

However, vitamin D supplementation should be considered in schools, particularly in countries with a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, because knowledge about the potential benefits of vitamin D and the negative effects of its deficiency is growing by the day, and the positive outcomes are too important to ignore.

Reference:

Qorbani, M., Heidari-Beni, M., Ejtahed, HS. et al. Association of vitamin D status and cardio-metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-V study. BMC Nutr 7, 71 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-021-00477-5