title: Low vitamin D concentrations among indigenous Argentinean children living at high altitudes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypovitaminosis D is an international problem; however, there is little information about its prevalence in apparently healthy Indian children living at high altitudes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine (i) the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and (ii) the association of serum vitamin D with the risk factors for diabetes among Indian Koya children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of 290 (129 males) school children aged 10.7 ± 2.9 yr was performed. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure (BP), Tanner stages and serum levels of glucose, lipids, and insulin were measured. 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was measured by radioimmunoassay (Dia Sorin).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of obesity was 3.4% (10), overweight 3.4% (10), normal weight 79.0% (229), and underweight 14.1 % (41) per CDC reference standards. Concentrations of [25(OH)D] were median 10 (range 8-13 ng/mL); 10 (3.4%) had insufficient vitamin D levels (20 to <30 ng/mL), 136 (46.9%) had deficient levels (10 to <20 ng/mL), 144 (49.7%) had severe deficiency (<10 ng/mL) and none had optimal levels (≥30 ng/mL). There was an inverse significant correlation between [25(OH)D] and age (r = 0.14), body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.16), waist circumference (r = 0.15), systolic BP (r = 0.19), hemoglobin (r = 0.19), glucose (r = 0.22), insulin (r = 0.13), and homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (r = 0.16). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly and inversely associated with glucose concentrations (β = -0.28; p = 0.02) adjusted for age, BMI, systolic BP, hemoglobin, and insulin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated a high prevalence of both 25(OH)D deficiency and insufficiency and an inverse association between 25(OH)D and glucose concentration in apparently healthy Koya Indian children. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.
authors: Medical College, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. vhirschler@intramed.net
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Hirschler
authors: Gustavo
authors: G
authors: Maccallini
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Molinari
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Aranda
mesh_terms: D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000531:Altitude; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2; D002112:Calcifediol