Vitamin D supplements should be promoted to high-risk Colombian Caribbean women
New data published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism indicated that almost 70% of the women surveyed had vitamin D levels under 30 ng/mL, the cut off for insufficiency and deficiency.
Researchers from Metropolitana University in Barranquilla, Colombia also reported that 81% of the women seemed to have metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by central obesity, hypertension, disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism, increased oxidative stress and a pro-inflammatory state. The syndrome has been linked to increased risks of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
“The results of this study allowed to determine that there is a high frequency in the serum vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency of postmenopausal women from Colombian Caribbean, as well as its relationship with factors associated to metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular risk (CVR) was determined, finding only a significant positive association between the vitamin D deficiency and low values of HDL cholesterol,” they wrote.
“These results must alert at the Colombian health system to increase the measures of promotion and prevention where it includes the serum vitamin D evaluation in the population and its inclusion in supplementation programs, in order to decrease such deficiencies and the risk factors that are predisposing to cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.”
The sunshine vitamin
Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. Both D3 and D2 precursors are transformed in the liver and kidneys into 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D).
While our bodies do manufacture vitamin D on exposure to sunshine, the levels in some northern countries are so weak during the winter months that our body makes no vitamin D at all, meaning that dietary supplements and fortified foods are seen by many as the best way to boost intakes of vitamin D.
Study details
The researchers assessed data from 183 post-menopausal women in four municipalities across the Colombian Caribbean (Sabana Larga, Baranoa, Malambo, and Santo Tomas).
Results showed that 44% of the women were vitamin D insufficient (25(OH)D levels between 20 and 30 ng/mL) and 26% were vitamin D deficient (25()H)D levels of less than 20 ng/mL).
These numbers were similar to findings in other studies in other areas of the country, which together “… show that in Colombia, the vitamin D deficiency in postmenopausal women constitutes an important health problem, [a] situation that possibly extends to other population groups [with children also at risk],” wrote the researchers.
“For other Latin America countries, inadequate vitamin D values could be present in about 67% of the population according to the collected data from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico,” they added.
In addition, the data showed an association between low vitamin D levels and low HDL cholesterol levels.
“Although the molecular mechanism by which vitamin D is related with serum levels of HDL cholesterol are not fully elucidated, studies such as that conducted in Finland with 909 men between 45 and 70 years old have reported a direct relationship between low levels of HDL cholesterol and deficiency of vitamin D mainly of the active form 1,25-OH-D,” explained the researchers.
“It is necessary to study more deeply the mechanisms by which the vitamin D improves the HDL cholesterol levels, being this a key mechanism to the prevention of cardiovascular risk.”
Source: Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism
Published online, doi: 10.1155/2018/9638317
“Relationship between Serum Vitamin D Levels and HDL Cholesterol in Postmenopausal Women from Colombian Caribbean”
Authors: L.A. Sarmiento-Rubiano et al.
