Vitamin D deficiency in adolescents: is there a difference according to the degree of obesity?

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the frequency of vitamin D (VD) deficiency in adolescents with different degrees of obesity and its association with alterations in the metabolic profile.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: Cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study in 250 adolescents with different degrees of obesity, treated at the nutrition polyclinic of the Hospital Dr. Sotero del Río. Data on age, sex, weight, height, Tanner stage, 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, basal insulin, and glycemia were collected. The following were used for statistical analysis: Student's test, chi-square, multiple linear regression analysis, and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

RESULTS: 58% of the adolescents presented non-severe obesity and 42% severe obesity, the mean age was 12.4 ± 2.1 years, and 54% were male. 91% of the total sample presented VD deficiency, being more frequent among adolescents with severe obesity, reaching 95%. VD levels were significantly lower in winter. HOMA (homeostatic model assessment) values were higher among patients with severe obesity (6.3/4.2). Low HDL-c was more frequent in adolescents with severe obesity (78%/62%). An inverse correlation was found between VD and triglyceride levels (r = -0.20; p = 0.00) and total cholesterol (r = -0.15; p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION: The VD deficiency among obese adolescents is worrying, reaching more than 90% of the study sample. Our results highlight the importance of timely prevention, detection, and treatment of VD deficiency in obese adolescents to prevent bone health deterioration and cardiometabolic risk in adulthood.