Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2011) 26 P337

Department of Endocrinology, Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Greece.


Low vitamin D levels have been found in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 and have been correlated with poor glycemic control. There are observations suggesting that vitamin D levels may be low in obesity.

The aim was to study vitamin D levels in obese individuals.

The levels of 25(OH)D3 were measured in 30 obese individuals aged 42.67 years (mean), range 27–64, BMI 35.49 (mean), range 30–46 and 37 control subjects, aged 58.3 years (mean), range 33–83, BMI 24.9, range 21–29. The levels of 25(OH)D3 were measured by RIA.

Vitamin D levels were lower in the obese patients than the control subjects, levels being 21.87±12.36 ng/ml (mean±S.D.) in the obese patients as compared to 38.42±15.31 ng/ml in the control group, P<0.05 (Student’s t test).

It appears that vitamin D levels may be low in obesity. The aetiology of low vitamin D levels in obesity is still obscure. Vitamin D may be stored in the fat and thus its real levels within the body may be normal, low levels being detected only in the blood. Alternatively, vitamin D may be destroyed in obesity, as a result of increased oxidative reactions occurring in the context of obesity. Thus, low vitamin D levels may be another pathophysiological mechanism resulting in increased morbidity in the obese.

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