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Risk from low vitamin D levels during adolescence

JR

Researcher from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, in Baltimore, Maryland looked at the relationship between low vitamin D levels and the risk of having the metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

First, the details.

  • Data from 3577 adolescents 12 to 19 years old who participated in the 2001–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2001–2004) were evaluated.

And, the results.

  • The average 25(OH)D blood level was 25 ng/mL.
  • Those with lowest vitamin-D levels (less than 15 ng/mL) were much more likely to have metabolic syndrome, high blood sugar levels, or high blood pressure than those with highest vitamin-D levels (greater than 26 ng/mL).

The bottom line?
Other researchers at the American Heart Association Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention reported that the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency in adults and adolescents in the US has risen sharply over the past 20 years.

3/21/09 20:21 JR

Hi, I’m JR

John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

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