Vitamin D supplementation enhances the beneficial effects of weight loss on cardiovascular disease risk markers

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition 2009-05, Vol.89 (5), p.1321-1327
• Main Authors: Zittermann, Armin, Frisch, Sabine, Berthold, Heiner K, Götting, Christian, Kuhn, Joachim, Kleesiek, Knut, Stehle, Peter, Koertke, Heinrich, Koerfer, Reiner
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 25-hydroxycholecalciferol; Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; blood chemistry; Calcifediol - blood; Calcifediol - deficiency; calcitriol; Cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; clinical trials; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormones; human nutrition; Humans; Inflammation - blood; lipogenesis; lipolysis; Male; Middle Aged; nutritional status; Obesity - complications; Overweight - drug therapy; Overweight - physiopathology; parathyroid hormone; patients; Placebos; protective effect; Risk Factors; risk reduction; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - blood; ventricular ectopy; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Vitamin D - therapeutic use; vitamin supplements; Weight control; weight loss; Weight Loss - drug effects; Weight Loss - physiology
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.27004

BACKGROUND: High blood concentrations of parathyroid hormone and low concentrations of the vitamin D metabolites 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and calcitriol are considered new cardiovascular disease risk markers. However, there is also evidence that calcitriol increases lipogenesis and decreases lipolysis. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of vitamin D on weight loss and traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular disease risk markers in overweight subjects. DESIGN: Healthy overweight subjects (n = 200) with mean 25(OH)D concentrations of 30 nmol/L (12 ng/mL) received vitamin D (83 μg/d) or placebo in a double-blind manner for 12 mo while participating in a weight-reduction program. RESULTS: Weight loss was not affected significantly by vitamin D supplementation (-5.7 ± 5.8 kg) or placebo (-6.4 ± 5.6 kg). However, mean 25(OH)D and calcitriol concentrations increased by 55.5 nmol/L and 40.0 pmol/L, respectively, in the vitamin D group but by only 11.8 nmol/L and 9.3 pmol/L, respectively, in the placebo group (P < 0.001), whereas a more pronounced decrease occurred in the vitamin D group than in the placebo group in blood concentrations of parathyroid hormone (-26.5% compared with -18.7%; P = 0.014), triglycerides (-13.5% compared with +3.0%; P < 0.001), and the inflammation marker tumor necrosis factor-α (-10.2% compared with -3.2%; P = 0.049). The beneficial biochemical effects were independent of the loss in body weight, fat mass, and sex. However, compared with placebo, vitamin D supplementation also increased LDL-cholesterol concentrations (+5.4% compared with -2.5%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that a vitamin D supplement of 83 μg/d does not adversely affect weight loss and is able to significantly improve several cardiovascular disease risk markers in overweight subjects with inadequate vitamin D status participating in a weight-reduction program. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00493012.