Vitamin D Status, Gender Differences, and Cardiometabolic Health Disparities.
Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized epidemic found in India and also worldwide. Despite the high prevalence of diabetes among Indians, there is a paucity of data showing the relationship between vitamin D status and cardiometabolic disparities. In this study, we have examined the relationship between vitamin D and cardiometabolic traits in a population from India.



Circulating 25(OH)D levels were measured in 3,879 participants from the Asian Indian Diabetic Heart Study using ELISA kits.



Vitamin D levels were significantly reduced (p < 0.0001) in both men and women with obesity. However, compared to women, serum vitamin D was consistently lower in men (p < 0.02), irrespective of the presence of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Multivariate regression revealed strong interaction of vitamin D with body mass index that resulted in increased fasting glucose (p = 0.001) and reduced homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-B; p = 0.01) in normoglycemic individuals. However, in gender-stratified analysis, this association was restricted to men for both fasting glucose (p = 2.4 × 10-4) and HOMA-B (p = 0.001).



Our findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency may significantly enhance the risk of cardiometabolic disease among Asian Indians. Future randomized trials and genetic studies are expected to clarify the underlying mechanisms for gender differences in vitamin D deficiency, and whether vitamin D-driven improvement in testosterone may contribute to beneficial cardiometabolic outcomes in men.
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Genetics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Dharambir K
DK
Sanghera
Bishwa R
BR
Sapkota
Christopher E
CE
Aston
Piers R
PR
Blackett
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D014807:Vitamin D
25 (OH) vitamin D; Asian Indians; Cardiometabolic disease risk; Gender difference; Type 2 diabetes