Association of serum vitamin D with change in weight and total body fat in a German cohort of older adults

Relationship of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels With Sarcopenia and Body Composition in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Paired Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

Sarcopenia is a leading health problem among older adults. However, few studies have explored the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, sarcopenia, and body composition in older Chinese individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of serum 25(OH)D levels with sarcopenia, sarcopenia indices, and body composition in community-dwelling older Chinese adults.

DESIGN

Paired case-control study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This case-control study enrolled 66 older adults newly diagnosed with sarcopenia (sarcopenia group) and 66 older adults without sarcopenia (non-sarcopenia group) after screening in the community.

METHODS

The definition of sarcopenia was based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Serum levels of 25(OH)D were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Spearman's correlation was used to examine the correlations among sarcopenia indices, body composition, and serum 25(OH)D.

RESULTS

Serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in the sarcopenia group (29.08 ± 15.11 ng/mL) than in the non-sarcopenia group (36.28 ± 14.68 ng/mL) (P < .05). Vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia (OR, 7.749; 95% CI, 1.955-30.714). Serum 25(OH)D levels in men were positively correlated with skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) (r = 0.450; P < .001) and negatively correlated with gait speed (r = -0.282; P = .032). Serum 25(OH)D levels in women were positively correlated with SMI (r = 0.286; P < .001), skeletal muscle mass (r = 0.395; P < .001), and fat-free mass (r = 0.412; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Serum 25(OH)D levels were lower in older adults with sarcopenia than those in adults without sarcopenia. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased risk of sarcopenia, and serum 25(OH)D levels were positively correlated with SMI.

No Association between Vitamin D and Weight Gain: A Prospective, Population-Based Study

Background: The association between vitamin D and weight gain remains controversial due to important limitations in the studies. We investigated the relationship between vitamin D levels and 5 and 10 years of weight and waist circumference change in a population-based prospective cohort study. Methods: Prospective study including participants aged between 35 and 75 years living in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. Weight and waist change at 5- and 10-year follow-up were assessed according to baseline vitamin D status (normal, insufficiency and deficiency). Results: A total of 3638 participants (47.9 % women, mean age 51.6 ± 10.4 years) were included for the 5-year follow-up. No association was found between vitamin D categories and weight change, multivariate-adjusted average ± standard error: 1.6 ± 0.3, 1.5 ± 0.2 and 1.2 ± 0.1 kg for normal, insufficiency and deficiency, respectively, p = 0.159. For waist change, the corresponding values were 3.3 ± 0.4, 3.3 ± 0.2 and 3.4 ± 0.2 cm, p = 0.792. For the 10-year follow-up, data from 2999 participants (45.8% women, mean age 50.8 ± 10.3 years) were used. No association was found for weight 2.3 ± 0.4, 2.3 ± 0.2 and 2.0 ± 0.2 kg, p = 0.588, or for waist 3.7 ± 0.4, 3.6 ± 0.3 and 4.2 ± 0.2 cm for normal, insufficiency and deficiency, respectively, p = 0.259. Conclusion: No association between vitamin D status and weight or waist gain at 5- and 10-year follow-up was found.

Does vitamin D deficiency increase the risk of obesity in adults and the elderly? A systematic review of prospective cohort studies

OBJECTIVES

Epidemiological studies indicate an association between vitamin D deficiency and obesity. However, there is no consistent evidence of the direction or causal relationship between these conditions. Thus, we analysed the longitudinal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and obesity/adiposity in different age groups.

STUDY DESIGN

This study was a systematic review with PROSPERO registry (CRD42016047523).

METHODS

Electronic searches were undertaken in Lilacs, Medline, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science databases until April 2020. For each study, we collected the frequency of vitamin D deficiency and obesity.

RESULTS

In total, 5071 articles were identified and 8 were ultimately included in this systematic review. Five cohort studies involved adults, two of which recorded a positive association between vitamin D deficiency and obesity. The other three studies found a borderline or null association between vitamin D deficiency and obesity. Three studies investigated the elderly population; two of these recorded an association between vitamin D and greater adiposity, and one study recorded that 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels ≥30 ng/ml were associated with less weight gain in the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This review reports that the majority of studies included show that vitamin D deficiency can contribute to the occurrence of obesity in adults and the elderly. It is recommended that prospective studies are conducted, with varying age groups and weather conditions, designed to test the longitudinal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and obesity outcomes.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in relation to weight change and the risk of weight gain in adults of normal weight at baseline: the Norwegian HUNT cohort study

OBJECTIVE

We sought to investigate the relationship of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level with weight change and the risk of weight gain in an adult population who had normal weight at baseline and were followed up for 11 years.

DESIGN

A population-based prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Nord-Trøndelag, Norway.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included 1501 adults who participated in the second and third surveys of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT2 (1995-1997) and HUNT3 (2006-2008)) and had a normal body mass index ≥18.5 and <25.0 kg/m² at baseline.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Relative weight change (%) was calculated as ((HUNT3 weight-HUNT2 weight)/HUNT2 weight×100). Relative annual weight change (%) was calculated as (relative weight change/follow-up years×100). Clinical weight gain was defined as relative weight change ≥5% over the 11 years, while annual weight gain was defined as relative annual weight change >1.25%.

METHODS

Multiple regression models were used to estimate adjusted coefficients for the relative annual weight change and risk ratios (RRs) for the risk of clinical weight gain and of annual weight gain.

RESULTS

Each 25 nmol/L increase in season-standardised serum 25(OH)D level at baseline was associated with a reduction of 0.05% (95% CI -0.11 to 0.01) for relative annual weight change, a 10% (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.97) reduced risk of clinical weight gain, and a 19% (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.00) reduced risk of annual weight gain. A statistically significant trend was evident for the risk of clinical weight gain when 25(OH)D levels were treated as a categorical variable (p=0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggested an inverse association of serum 25(OH)D level with the risk of clinical weight gain in adults who had normal weight at baseline over 11 years' follow-up.

Does vitamin D status predict weight gain or increase in waist circumference? Results from the longitudinal Health 2000/2011 Survey

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether vitamin D status predicts weight gain or increase in waist circumference during the 11-year follow-up in general adult population.

DESIGN

A population-based longitudinal study.

SETTING

The study was conducted using data from the nationally representative Health 2000/2011 Survey. The analyses were based on regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

PARTICIPANTS

Weight, waist circumference and vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration analysed with radioimmunoassay) were measured from 2924 participants aged 30-64 years at baseline.

RESULTS

In men, low vitamin D status at baseline predicted ≥10 % increase in waist circumference during the follow-up when adjusted for age only (OR for sufficient v. deficient S-25(OH)D 0·41; 95 % CI 0·25, 0·67; P for trend <0·01), but the association with weight gain was only borderline significant. After adjustment for potential confounders, low vitamin D status remained a significant predictor of increase in waist circumference, but the association with weight gain was further attenuated. In women, vitamin D status at baseline did not predict weight gain or increase in waist circumference.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that vitamin D insufficiency may be a risk factor of abdominal obesity among men but not among women. In men, it may also increase the risk of weight gain. Further studies are required to confirm these findings and examine potential mechanisms behind them. There is also a possibility that vitamin D is a biomarker of healthy lifestyle rather than an independent risk factor for obesity.

Association between Obesity and Serum 25(OH)D Concentrations in Older Mexican Adults

Background: Vitamin D is essential for maintaining bone mineralization and calcium homeostasis, and prevents falls and fractures in older adults. Mexico is undergoing an epidemiologic and demographic transition with increasing obesity rates. The study’s aim was to determine the association of obesity with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in older Mexican adults. Methods: Data from 1772 Mexicans, aged ≥50 years, enrolled in a sub-sample of the 3rd wave of the Mexican Health and Aging Study, were included. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were used to define vitamin D status, and were categorized into tertiles. Body mass index measures were used to categorize older adults into under/normal weight, overweight, and obese groups. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Approximately 40% and 37% of older Mexican adults were either overweight or obese, respectively. Compared to under/normal weight older Mexicans, obese adults were 1.78 times (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.27–2.48) and 1.94 times (95% CI 1.40–2.68) more associated with the first and second tertile concentrations of serum 25(OH)D, respectively. Overweight adults were 1.52 times (95% CI 1.12–2.06) more associated with the second tertile of serum 25(OH)D concentration than under/normal weight adults. Conclusion: Overweight/Obesity was found to be significantly associated with low concentrations of serum 25(OH) in older Mexican adults.