Influence of Serum Vitamin D on Age-Related Physiological Changes: A Cross-Sectional Study in Middle-Aged Adults

The pace of physiological deterioration is variable among living beings. Vitamin D is proven to be one of the crucial yet deficient vitamins. Hypovitaminosis D is often marked by aging, but young adults are also not exempt. Thus, to identify the lacunae and bridge the gap between aging and vitamin D, this study selected the middle-aged age group and their phenotypic aging markers. Physiological changes are gradual and measurable using non-invasive methods, and they contribute to the phenotypic aging markers like BMI, WHR, F%, WS, and HGS. This study hypothesizes that the minute changes in phenotypic markers in young adults, which are prominent during middle age and potentially cause early aging, are influenced by Vitamin D.

The study is based on a cross-sectional design. Healthy individuals were recruited from the OPD following convenience sampling, and anthropometric and physical assessments were performed. Then, the blood samples were assessed for vitamin D levels. After segregating deficient (< 20 ng/dL), insufficient (20-30 ng/mL), and sufficient (> 20 ng/dL), the comparison was drawn.

A frequency analysis of three groups and comparisons among them was made. Association of phenotypic markers with vitamin D was shown.

The present study population attempted to establish the hypothesis; however, chronological age can have multicollinearity with all variables, and sample size is a limitation of this study.