Association between 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Status and Components of Body Composition and Glucose Metabolism in Older Men and Women

• Published in: Nutrients 2018-11, Vol.10 (12), p.1826
• Main Authors: Mathieu, Svea-Vivica, Fischer, Karina, Dawson-Hughes, Bess, Freystaetter, Gregor, Beuschlein, Felix, Schietzel, Simeon, Egli, Andreas, Bischoff-Ferrari, Heike A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Age; Aged; Arthritis; Beta cells; Biomedical materials; Blood Glucose - metabolism; blood serum; Body Composition; Body fat; Body Fluid Compartments - metabolism; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; Chromatography; Clinical trials; Cross-Sectional Studies; diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; fat mass index; Generalized linear models; Glucose; Glucose metabolism; Health risks; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Insulin-Secreting Cells - metabolism; Male; men; Metabolism; Metabolites; Middle Aged; Mobility; Morbidity; mortality; Muscles; Muscles - metabolism; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - etiology; Older people; Osteoarthritis; Physical activity; Population; prostheses; regression analysis; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - blood; Sarcopenia - etiology; smoking (habit); Software; surgery; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; vitamin D deficiency; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - complications; Vitamin deficiency; Women
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu10121826

Obesity and sarcopenia are major causes of morbidity and mortality among seniors. Vitamin D deficiency is very common especially among seniors and has been associated with both muscle health and obesity. This study investigated if 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status is associated with body composition and insulin resistance using baseline data of a completed RCT among relatively healthy community-dwelling seniors (271 seniors age 60+ years undergoing elective surgery for unilateral total knee replacement due to osteoarthritis). Cross-sectional analysis compared appendicular lean mass index (ALMI: lean mass kg/height m²) and fat mass index (FMI: fat mass kg/height m²) assessed by DXA and insulin resistance between quartiles of serum 25(OH)D concentration using multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI). Participants in the lowest serum 25(OH)D quartile (4.7⁻17.5 ng/mL) had a higher fat mass (9.3 kg/m²) compared with participants in the third (8.40 kg/m²; Q3 = 26.1⁻34.8 ng/mL) and highest (8.37 kg/m²; Q4 = 34.9⁻62.5 ng/mL) quartile ( = 0.03). Higher serum 25(OH)D quartile status was associated with higher insulin sensitivity ( = 0.03) and better beta cell function ( = 0.004). Prevalence of insulin resistance tended to be higher in the second compared with the highest serum 25(OH)D quartile (14.6% vs. 4.8%, = 0.06). Our findings suggest that lower serum 25(OH)D status may be associated with greater fat mass and impaired glucose metabolism, independent of BMI and other risk factors for diabetes.