title: Is vitamin D deficiency an independent risk factor for obesity and abdominal obesity in women?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D has been determined to have some effects on b cell function and insulin sensitivity, and it is known that type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperparathyroidism can cause obesity. The aim of our study was to investigate if vitamin D deficiency without diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome is associated with obesity and abdominal obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 276 healthy premenopausal women. To exclude other causes of obesity, postmenopausal women and subjects with diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome were excluded. Women were divided into two groups depending on their 25-hydroxyvitaminD(3) [25(OH)D(3)] levels: subjects with vitamin D deficiency (Group 1) and subjects without vitamin D deficiency (Group 2). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI, WC, WHR, rates of obesity, and abdominal obesity according to WC and WHR of Group 2 were lower than those of Group 1 (p = 0.0005, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0045, p = 0.032, p = 0.002, p = 0.011, respectively). 25(OH)D(3) levels negatively correlated with BMIs (r = -0.480, p < 0.0001), WCs (r = -0.480, p < 0.0001) and WHRs (r = -0.312, p < 0.05). There were no differences between serum parathormone, calcium and phosphorus levels of Group 1 and 2 (p = 0.239, p = 0.354, p = 0.95, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency without diabetes mellitus and hyperparathyroidism may be associated with obesity and abdominal obesity.
authors: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Goztepe Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. hgtamer@yahoo.com
authors: Gonca
authors: G
authors: Tamer
authors: Banu
authors: B
authors: Mesci
authors: Ismet
authors: I
authors: Tamer
authors: Damla
authors: D
authors: Kilic
authors: Safiye
authors: S
authors: Arik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014807:Vitamin D; D002112:Calcifediol