Associations Between the Serum 25(OH)D Concentration and Lipid Profiles in Japanese Men

Aim: Low circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration has been linked to a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease. One explanation for this phenomenon is that there is an association between the serum 25(OH)D level and lipid profiles. However, studies examining this relationship are limited and have yielded inconsistent results. We thus aimed to evaluate the association between the serum 25(OH)D concentration and lipid profiles in Japanese men taking into consideration confounding factors, including the visceral fat area (VFA) and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods: A total of 136 men (age range: 20-79 years) participated in our study. Fasting blood samples were analyzed to determine the 25(OH)D, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), apolipoprotein (Apo)A-1 and ApoB levels. The VFA was evaluated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by measuring the peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak).

Results: The median 25(OH)D concentration was 35.6 nmol/L, and the prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was 78.7%. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the serum 25(OH)D concentration was inversely related to the LDL-C/HDL-C, TG, ApoB and ApoB/ApoA-1 values, even after adjusting for age, season, smoking status, alcohol consumption, medication use, vitamin D intake, calcium intake, VFA and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Conclusions: Serum 25(OH)D level is inversely correlated with the LDL-C/HDL-C, TG, ApoB and ApoB/ApoA-1 values in Japanese men, independent of the VFA and cardiorespiratory fitness.