Obese men were 40 percent more likely to be vitamin D deficient than women – July 2011

 

Impact of gender on vitamin D deficiency in morbidly obese patients: a cross-sectional study.

Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011 Jul 27. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.140.
Johnson LK, Hofsø D, Aasheim ET, Tanbo T, Holven KB, Andersen LF, Røislien J, Hjelmesæth J.
1] Department of Medicine, Morbid Obesity Centre, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway 2 Department of Gynaecology, Norwegian Resource Centre for Women's Health, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.

Background/Objective: Obesity is associated with vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) <50?nmol/l). We aimed to examine the effect of gender on vitamin D status in severe obesity.

Subjects/Methods: Cross-sectional study of 2026 morbidly obese patients examined consecutively at a tertiary care centre between November 2005 and June 2010. Serum 25(OH)D concentration and use of vitamin D supplements were registered in all patients. Total vitamin D intake (?g/day) was assessed in a subgroup of 154 patients using a validated food frequency questionnaire.

Results: The male (n=690) and female (n=1336) patients had a mean (s.d.) age of 45.0 (12.1) years and 42.2 (12.2) years (P<0.001), body mass index (BMI) of 44.6 (6.0) kg/m(2) and 44.3 (5.9) kg/m(2) (P=0.30) and waist circumference (WC) of 140 (13) cm and 127 (13) cm (P<0.001), respectively.

Male patients had significantly lower mean 25(OH)D concentrations than female patients 50.0 (22.0) nmol/l versus 53.6 (22.4) nmol/l (P=0.001) and a higher rate of vitamin D deficiency (56% versus 47%; P<0.001).

Obese men had significantly higher odds of vitamin D deficiency than women (odds ratio=1.41; 95% confidence interval: 1.17-1.70, P<0.001),
also after adjustment for season, age, current smoking, intake of vitamin D supplements, BMI and WC (odds ratio=1.39; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.76).

Conclusions: Morbidly obese Norwegian men seeking weight loss treatment have significantly higher odds of vitamin D deficiency than women. Monitoring of 25(OH)D concentrations in obese patients should therefore take gender into account.

PMID: 21792214
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