Vitamin D status and metabolic syndrome in the elderly: the Rotterdam Study

• Published in: European journal of endocrinology Vol. 172; no. 3; pp. 327 - 335
• Main Authors: Vitezova, A, Zillikens, M C, van Herpt, T T W, Sijbrands, E J G, Hofman, A, Uitterlinden, A G, Franco, O H, Kiefte-de Jong, J C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Bioscientifica Ltd 01-03-2015
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Blood Pressure - physiology; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Clinical Study; Female; Humans; Male; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Triglycerides - blood; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Waist Circumference - physiology
• ISSN: 0804-4643; 1479-683X
• DOI: 10.1530/EJE-14-0580

ObjectiveThe effects of vitamin D in the elderly are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the elderly, as well as between vitamin D status and the components of MetS (i.e. serum glucose, triglycerides (TG), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure (BP)).MethodsThe study was embedded in the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort of middle-aged and elderly adults. We analyzed data from 3240 people (median age 71.2 years) who did not have type 2 diabetes mellitus at baseline.ResultsWe found higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations associated with lower prevalence of MetS (odds ratio (OR); 95% CI: 0.61; 0.49, 0.77 for adequate levels (≥75 nmol/l) vs deficiency (<50 nmol/l). In addition, in analysis of the individual components, the ORs for adequate vs deficient vitamin D levels were: 0.66 (95% CI 0.53, 0.83) for elevated WC, 0.67 (95% CI 0.52, 0.86) for reduced HDL-C, 0.69 (95% CI 0.54, 0.88) for elevated TG, and 0.80 (95% CI 0.65, 0.99) for elevated fasting glucose. Vitamin D was not associated with elevated blood pressure, and ORs for adequacy vs deficiency were 0.82 (95% CI 0.65, 1.03).ConclusionHigher 25(OH)D concentrations in the elderly are associated with lower prevalence of MetS and, in particular, with more beneficial HDL-C, TG, WC, and serum glucose. Since the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is common worldwide and its risk increases with age, if causality is proven, benefits of improving vitamin D status among the elderly may be great.