Vitamin D Deficiency: A Potential Modifiable Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in Children with Severe Obesity

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Nutritional Science
• Cardiovascular Health

Background:

• Severe obesity is linked to abnormal lipid profiles and increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
• Obesity is a known risk factor for vitamin D deficiency.
• Understanding the relationship between vitamin D status and lipids in obese children is crucial for CVD prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and lipid profiles in children with severe obesity.
• To determine if vitamin D deficiency is associated with unfavorable lipid levels, specifically low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records for 376 children with severe obesity.
• Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between 25(OH)D and lipids.
• Adjustments were made for age, gender, season of blood draw, BMI z-score, and BMI % of the 95th percentile.

Main Results:

• 70% of children (263/376) had 25(OH)D concentrations below 30 ng/mL, indicating high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.
• 25(OH)D concentrations showed a positive correlation with HDL-C (r² = 0.08, p = 0.004).
• Children with 25(OH)D < 30 ng/mL had significantly lower HDL-C levels and higher odds of low HDL-C (<40 mg/dL) compared to those with sufficient levels (OR 2.15, p = 0.0019).

Conclusions:

• Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in children with severe obesity.
• Lower vitamin D status is associated with unfavorable HDL-C levels in this population.
• Further clinical trials are needed to investigate if vitamin D supplementation can improve HDL-C and reduce CVD risk in obese children.