Associations between adiposity measures and 25-hydroxyvitamin D among police officers

Association among 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, hypertriglyceridemic-waist phenotype, and cardiometabolic markers in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus from regions with high solar incidence

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between vitamin D status and hypertriglyceridemic-waist (HTW) phenotype and cardiometabolic markers in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) living in regions with high solar incidence (10° south).

METHODS

An observational, cross-sectional study, with 122 individuals with T2DM, of both sexes, aged between 19 and 59 years, residing in Sergipe/Brazil. Measurements included serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D), glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL-c, HDL-c, triacylglycerols, blood pressure, body mass index, %body fat, and waist circumference. Participants were classified by the presence or absence of the HTW phenotype, according to increased waist circumference and triacylglycerols concentrations. Logistic and linear regression models were applied to verify the association among the concentration of 25(OH)D, HTW phenotype, and lipid profile variables.

RESULTS

Triacylglycerols concentrations (p = .013) and %body fat (p = .011) were higher in women with serum 25(OH)D insufficient/deficient than in those with adequate 25(OH)D levels. Individuals with serum 25(OH)D insufficiency/deficiency were 2.595 times more likely to present the HTW phenotype than those with adequate 25(OH)D levels (p = .021). Additionally, a negative association was observed between the concentration of 25(OH)D and total cholesterol (Beta = -0.204, p = .049).

CONCLUSION

Insufficiency/deficiency of serum 25(OH)D in individuals with T2DM increases the chances of developing the HTW phenotype.

Despite Low Obesity Rates, Body Mass Index Under-Estimated Obesity among Russian Police Officers When Compared to Body Fat Percentage

In some countries, obesity rates among police officers are higher than the general public, despite physically demanding jobs. Obesity rates based on body mass index (BMI) may lack accuracy as BMI does not directly address body composition. Since data are lacking for obesity rates among Russian police officers, this study documented and compared officer obesity rates to the adult Russian population and compared the accuracy of body mass index (BMI) for obesity classification to two direct measures of body composition. Moscow region police officers (N = 182, 84% men) underwent height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and body fat percentage (BF%) bioelectrical impedance measurements during annual medical examinations. BMI-defined obesity rates were 4.6% for men and 17.2% for women, which were >3 and >1.8 times lower than Russian adults, respectively. WC-defined obesity rates were similar to BMI (3.3% for men and 10.3% for women), but BF%-defined obesity rates were much higher (22.2% for men and 55.2% for women). Although obesity rates were lower than those found among police officers in other countries, BMI alone was not a particularly accurate method for classifying weight status among Russian police officers.

Correlation of Vitamin D with Inflammatory Cytokines, Atherosclerotic Parameters, and Lifestyle Factors in the Setting of Heart Failure: A 12-Month Follow-Up Study

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent worldwide. It has been associated with heart failure (HF) given its immunoregulatory functions. In-vitro and animal models have shown protective roles through mechanisms involving procollagen-1, JNK2, calcineurin/NFAT, NF-κB, MAPK, Th1, Th2, Th17, cytokines, cholesterol-efflux, oxLDL, and GLUT4, among others. A 12-month follow-up in HF patients showed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, with no seasonal variation (64.7-82.4%). A positive correlation between serum 25(OH)D concentration and dietary intake of vitamin D-rich foods was found. A significant inverse correlation with IL-1β (R = -0.78), TNF-α (R = -0.53), IL-6 (R = -0.42), IL-8 (R = -0.41), IL-17A (R = -0.31), LDL-cholesterol (R = -0.51), Apo-B (R = -0.57), total-cholesterol (R = -0.48), and triglycerides (R = -0.32) was shown. Cluster analysis demonstrated that patients from cluster three, with the lowest 25(OH)D levels, presented the lowermost vitamin D intake, IL-10 (1.0 ± 0.9 pg/mL), and IL-12p70 (0.5 ± 0.4 pg/mL), but the highest TNF-α (9.1 ± 3.5 pg/mL), IL-8 (55.6 ± 117.1 pg/mL), IL-17A (3.5 ± 2.0 pg/mL), total-cholesterol (193.9 ± 61.4 mg/dL), LDL-cholesterol (127.7 ± 58.2 mg/dL), and Apo-B (101.4 ± 33.4 mg/dL) levels, compared with patients from cluster one. Although the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of HF in humans is still uncertain, we applied the molecular mechanisms of in-vitro and animal models to explain our findings. Vitamin D deficiency might contribute to inflammation, remodeling, fibrosis, and atherosclerosis in patients with HF.