Overweight children are a particularly vulnerable group for hypovitaminosis D.

OBJECTIVE

To study the relationship between lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and vitamin D (VD) status in prepubertal children with overweight and obesity.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A cross-sectional (one-stage) study included 77 children aged 8 to 10 years, divided into three groups depending on the body mass index: group 1 included 26 children with normal body weight; group 2 included 29 overweight children; group 3 included 22 obese children. The VD status was assessed by the serum level of 25(OH)D, and lipid and carbohydrate metabolism was evaluated by the concentration of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), β-lipoproteins, triglycerides (TG), glucose, insulin, and the HOMA-IR, insulin resistance index.

RESULTS

VD deficiency in obese children was 2.3 times more common than in overweight children (p=0.002) and 2.8 times more common than in healthy children (p=0.001). In Group 1, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism parameters were significantly higher than in healthy children (p<0.05). Children those with VD deficiency had higher levels of TC, TG, ALT, AST, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR compared to peers with a normal 25(OH)D level (p<0.05). The lipid profile and carbohydrate metabolism in children with obesity and VD deficiency were statistically significantly higher than in normal body weight peers with VD deficiency and healthy children with optimal VD status. However, there was no statistically significant difference between lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in healthy children with normal VD status and hypovitaminosis D.

CONCLUSION

Vitamin D deficiency is an important predictor of insulin resistance and lipid metabolism disorders in obese children, even at prepubertal age.