Low vitamin D may be risk factor for Metabolic Syndrome
A study of 1‚289 elderly men and women has found a link between vitamin D deficiency and elevated risk for metabolic syndrome.
The study demonstrated that older people with a serum 25(OH)D level below 50 nmol/L had a higher risk for metabolic syndrome compared to people with a level higher than 50 nmol/L. The association was primarily determined by the risk factors of low HDL and increased waist circumference. Of the patients included in this study‚ about 37 percent of the older study population had metabolic syndrome‚ based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III definition. Subjects with metabolic syndrome had a mean vitamin D level of 50.78 nmol/L‚ while those without metabolic syndrome had a mean level of 55.09 nmol/L. Based on their findings‚ the researchers suggested that adequate levels of vitamin D may help prevent metabolic syndrome.
