Vitamin D status of overweight and obese Bangladeshi adults

BACKGROUND: Both obesity and vitamin D deficiency are pandemics and both have influences on cardiovascular parameters. The reported prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in obesity is high. Data relating to vitamin D status in obese is currently lacking in Bangladesh. OBJECTIVE: To discover the vitamin D status in Bangladeshi overweight and obese adults. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study, conducted in a specialized endocrine center of Bangladesh, evaluated 500 consecutive overweight or obese subjects, diagnosed according to body mass index (BMI) categories applicable to the south Asian population. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by using the enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA) method, and the cutoffs described by the Endocrine Society were used to define vitamin D status. RESULTS: The mean age of the study subjects was 45.85 (±11.41) years; most (59.6%) of them were in the age group 40–59 years; almost three-fourth (72.4%) were females; an almost equal number of them came from urban (33.8%), semi-urban (29.6%), and rural (36.6%) areas; three-fourth (74.2%) were homemaker. Their mean BMI was 29.54 (±3.11) kg/m(2); the frequencies of overweight, class I obesity, class II obesity, and class III obesity were 27.6%, 57.4%, 12.2%, and 2.8%, respectively. The mean serum 25(OH)D level was 25.25 (±11.97) ng/mL. 27.4% were sufficient, and 33.4% were insufficient for vitamin D, whereas 39.2% had vitamin D deficiency. The 25(OH)D level did not differ across different age groups, gender, residence, education status, occupation, and income status. The 25(OH)D levels were also indifferent in overweight, obese class I, obese class II, and obese class III subjects. None of the demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical variables (except low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) correlated with 25(OH)D levels. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in overweight and obese Bangladeshi adults is very high.