Vitamin D status and its relation to insulin resistance in a Mexican pediatric population

Background Obesity in children and adolescents has increased alarmingly, placing them at a higher risk for impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency has increased as well. Vitamin D is critical for glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion. Studies on adults have reported an inverse association between vitamin D levels and insulin resistance (IR), but the results in children are inconsistent. The aim of our study was to determine the association between IR and serum vitamin D levels in obese Mexican children and adolescents. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed on 227 children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years of age. Obesity was diagnosed through body mass index (BMI) for age, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (2007). 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) was measured using an immunoassay technique and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated using the Matthews equation. Student's t-test was carried out. Results The mean serum 25(OH)D level was 35.80 ng/mL, and 55.1% of the subjects had levels classified as sufficient, 33.5% as insufficient, and 11.5% as deficient. The mean level of HOMA-IR was 3.16, and 70% of the subjects were diagnosed with IR. Fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR were significantly different in adolescents with hypovitaminosis, compared with adolescents in the vitamin D sufficiency group (p = 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusions The insulin levels and HOMA-IR were higher in adolescents with hypovitaminosis. The girls presented higher levels of insulin and HOMA-IR than the boys.