Association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D status with overweight and obesity in Costa Rican adults

Aim: This research aimed to investigate the association between plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and overweight/obesity in Costa Rican adults with and without type 2 diabetes. Methods: 604 adults were involved in a cross-sectional study from a clinical-base urban Costa Rican population. Clinical variables such as glycemic status and arterial hypertension were registered. Blood samples were collected to measure circulating vitamin D levels, fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and lipid profile. The association between plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and clinical and biochemical variables was tested using a linear regression model. Results: There was an 80% prevalence of overweight and obesity in this sample. Plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were in the deficiency range in 28% of subjects, in the insufficiency range in 49%, and only 23% of participants had sufficient levels. 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were lower in subjects with a body mass index above 25 kg/m2 (t-test, p= 0.006). The association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and body mass index remained significant (β: -0.15, CI 95%: -0.21 – -0.10) even after adjusting for classical risk factors such as lipid profile, glycemic status, and hypertension. Conclusion: Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were suboptimal in 77% of the sample. Additionally, low plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were associated with overweight/obesity in Costa Rican subjects.