Vitamin D Status, Adiposity, and Lipids in Black American and Caucasian Children

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between vitamin D status, total and abdominal adiposity, and lipids in black and white children. Methods: Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH) D], adiposity [body mass index (BMI), percentage of total body fat, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), sc adipose tissue (SAT)], and fasting lipids were assessed in healthy obese and nonobese 8- to 18-yr-old black and white children. Results: We studied 237 children (mean +/- SD age, 12.7 +/- 2.2 yr; 47% black, 47% obese, and 43% male). Mean 25(OH) D concentration for the entire cohort was 19.4 +/- 7.4 ng/ml. The majority of the children were vitamin D deficient [25(OH) D <20 ng/ml; 73% blacks, 40% whites]. Plasma 25(OH) D was associated inversely with BMI, BMI percentile, percentage of total body fat, VAT, and SAT and positively with HDL cholesterol in the entire cohort. VAT was higher in vitamin D-deficient whites, and SAT was higher in vitamin D-deficient blacks compared with their respective vitamin D-non-deficient counterparts. Race, season, pubertal status, and VAT were independent significant predictors of 25(OH) D status. Conclusions: In black and white youth examined together, lower levels of 25(OH) D are associated with higher adiposity measures and lower HDL. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency is associated with higher VAT in whites and greater SAT in blacks. Besides therapeutic interventions to correct the high rates of vitamin D deficiency in youth, benefits of vitamin D optimization on adiposity measures and lipid profile need to be explored. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 96: 1560-1567, 2011)