title: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with atherosclerosis-promoting risk factor clustering but not vascular damage in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D has been associated with multiple cardiometabolic risk factors in children but there is a paucity of studies examining its correlation to vascular function and structure. Our objective was to determine whether there is a correlation between vitamin D, cardiometabolic risk, vascular distensibility and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) in high-risk children.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional, cohort study that compared vitamin D to cardiometabolic risk factors, carotid artery distensibility, and CIMT in 74 children with multiple, modifiable atherosclerosis-promoting risk factors. Vitamin D was used as a continuous variable and also categorized as deficient (<20 ng/mL) or sufficient (≥20 ng/mL). Seven modifiable atherosclerosis-promoting risk factors were analyzed - body mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting insulin, & tobacco smoke exposure history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the entire cohort, vitamin D was 26.1 ± 9.4 ng/mL (6-63 ng/mL); and the levels were deficient in 20%. The number of modifiable atherosclerosis promoting risk factors per child was 3.3 ± 1.6. Distensibility index was 2.62 ± 0.87% per 10 mmHg, CIMT 0.54 ± 0.06 mm. There was an inverse correlation between vitamin D and risk factor score (r=-0.27, p=0.02); this remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, and race. There was no association between vitamin D levels and distensibility index or CIMT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though vitamin D levels were inversely correlated with cardiometabolic risk factor score in high-risk children, there are no demonstrable vascular functional or structural effects.
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. ncck5@mail.umkc.edu
authors.forename: Nikoo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cheraghi
authors.forename: Hongying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Geetha
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raghuveer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D