Vitamin D Status and Its Effect on Metabolic Risk Factors Throughout the Lifecycle

Download or read book Vitamin D Status and Its Effect on Metabolic Risk Factors Throughout the Lifecycle written by Siobhan Muldowney and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While historically vitamin D is known for its role in skeletal health, in recent times a number of other physiological associations have been described. In particular, a role of vitamin D in cardio-metabolic health has been illustrated. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a health problem of global importance. A number of CVD risk factors, such as high fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidemia, tend to cluster together in a syndrome known as the cardio-metabolic syndrome (MetS). Identification of the multiple genetic and environmental factors that predispose some people to developing the various metabolic disorders that constitute MetS would be a valuable step in helping to address the condition. In this context, nutrition, including vitamin D status, is a potentially modifiable risk factor. Numerous studies have found associations between low vitamin D status and an elevated risk of MetS and CVD. The current thesis has explored these associations further at different stages of the life-cycle. Chapter 2 and 3 were cross-sectional studies of young European adults (Chapter 2) and a representative sample of adolescents aged 12 and 15 y (Chapter 3). Results showed that a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s25(OH)D) concentration 50 nmol/l, which is commonly used as a cut-off for vitamin D insufficiency was prevalent among young European overweight adults. Moreover, nearly one-fifth of the young adults and 2% of the adolescents were characterised as having the MetS, using the NCEP/ATP III criteria for adults and adolescents. Additionally, a s25(OH)D 42.5 nmol/l was associated with increased risk of MetS and an elevated triacylglycerol (TAG) concentration in the young adults, compared to those with a s25(OH)D 63 nmol/l. Similarly, among the adolescents, those with a s25(OH)D