title: Relationships between vitamin D status and cardio-metabolic risk factors in young European adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore associations between vitamin D and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young European adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional analysis of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [s25(OH)D], intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk in 195 healthy 20- to 40-year-olds (109 women) with a BMI between 27.5 and 32.5 from Iceland (64° N; n = 82), Ireland (51° N; n = 37) and Spain (42° N; n = 76) during mid-late winter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median s25(OH)D was 52.8 nmol/l (IQR 38.1-69.9) or 21.1 ng/ml (IQR 15.2-28.0) with a latitude-dependent gradient (p ≤ 0.0001): Iceland, 41.7 nmol/l (IQR 32.7-54.2) or 16.7 ng/ml (IQR 13.1-21.7); Ireland, 52.9 nmol/l (IQR 35.3-68.6) or 21.2 ng/ml (IQR 14.1-27.4), and Spain, 67.1 nmol/l (IQR 47.1-87.1) or 26.8 ng/ml (IQR 18.8-34.8). Eleven percent of Icelandic participants had s25(OH)D concentrations <25 nmol/l (10 ng/ml) and 66% of Icelandic, 43% of Irish, and 30% of Spanish volunteers had concentrations <50 nmol/l (20 ng/ml), respectively. Overall, 17% met 3 or more of the NCEP/ATP III criteria for cardio-metabolic syndrome (MetS). Participants in the lowest third of s25(OH)D [≤ 42.5 nmol/l (17 ng/ml)] were more likely to have MetS (OR 2.49, p = 0.045) and elevated TAG (OR 3.46, p = 0.019). Individuals with iPTH concentrations in the lowest third [2.34 pmol/l (22.2 pg/ml)] were more likely to have elevated fasting TAG (OR 4.17, p = 0.039), insulin (OR 3.15, p = 0.029) and HOMA-IR (OR 2.15, p = 0.031), and they were less likely to have elevated IL-6 (OR 0.24, p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were interactions between s25(OH)D, iPTH and cardio-metabolic risk factors which, given the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity and a low vitamin D status among adults, require randomised controlled vitamin D intervention studies in overweight persons.
authors.affiliation: Vitamin D Research Group, School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muldowney
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lucey
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paschos
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bandarra
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thorsdottir
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Cashman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiely
mesh_terms: D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000150:complications; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; C470125:PTH protein, human; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2; D002112:Calcifediol