Vitamin D status and cardiometabolic risk factors in the United States adolescent population

Evidence on the association of vitamin D with cardiovascular risk factors in youth is very limited. We examined whether low serum vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]) are associated with cardiovascular risk factors in US adolescents aged 12 to 19 years.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 3577 fasting, nonpregnant adolescents without diagnosed diabetes who participated in the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cardiovascular risk factors were measured using standard methods and defined according to age-modified Adult Treatment Panel III definitions.

Mean 25(OH)D was 24.8 ng/mL; it was lowest in black (15.5 ng/mL), intermediate in Mexican American (21.5 ng/mL), and highest in white (28.0 ng/mL) adolescents (P < .001 for each pairwise comparison). Low 25(OH)D levels were strongly associated with overweight status and abdominal obesity (P for trend < .001 for both). After adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, BMI, socioeconomic status, and physical activity, 25(OH)D levels were inversely associated with systolic blood pressure (P = .02) and plasma glucose concentrations (P = .01). The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for those in the lowest (<15 ng/mL) compared with the highest quartile (>26 ng/mL) of 25(OH)D for hypertension was 2.36 (1.33-4.19); for fasting hyperglycemia it was 2.54 (1.01-6.40); for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol it was 1.54 (0.99-2.39); for hypertriglyceridemia it was 1.00 (0.49-2.04); and for metabolic syndrome it was 3.88 (1.57-9.58).

Low serum vitamin D in US adolescents is strongly associated with hypertension, hyperglycemia, and metabolic syndrome, independent of adiposity.