Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and Metabolic Parameters in Healthy Korean Adults: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI

Purpose: Studies investigating the association between vitamin D and metabolic parameters have reported inconsistent results depending on the characteristics of the subjects. We aimed to investigate the association between vitamin D levels and various metabolic indicators in healthy Korean adults by using nationally representative data. Methods: A total of 3640 participants were included after excluding subjects who were <= 19 years of age and had a history of treatment for dyslipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes and a history of other chronic diseases such as liver and kidney diseases. After dividing the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level into quartiles, the risk of having each metabolic parameter higher than the median value was determined according to the 25(OH)D quartile by using regression analysis. Results: In a multivariate regression analysis, a higher 25(OH)D quartile tended to have a significantly lower risk of having a triglyceride (TG) level higher than the median value (103.1 mg/dl). As the quartile increased, the risk of having a waist circumference or body mass index higher than the median value also decreased, but the difference was not statistically significant. No significant changes were observed in fasting glucose or glycated hemoglobin level according to quartile. Conclusion: We demonstrated that subjects with a higher 25(OH)D quartile exhibited a significantly lower risk of having a TG level higher than the median value in a representative Korean population. More evidence from a prospective study on whether vitamin D supplementation improves serum TG levels in healthy adults is needed.

Automated summary

The study showed that individuals with higher 25(OH)D quartiles in a representative Korean population had a significantly lower risk of having higher triglyceride (TG) levels. However, there were no statistically significant differences in other metabolic parameters. More evidence from prospective studies is needed to determine if vitamin D supplementation can improve serum TG levels in healthy adults.