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Hypovitaminosis D and fat mass in healthy older people

Abstract

Prospective studies have suggested that hypovitaminosis D can predict the onset of obesity, but they relied mainly on body mass index, which could be scarcely reliable in older people. We investigated whether baseline hypovitaminosis D could predict higher fat mass (FM) levels using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in a sample of 116 fit and healthy older subjects. Although no significant differences in FM estimates emerged between subjects with and without hypovitaminosis D at the baseline, abdominal FM was found significantly higher in the former group (with hypovitaminosis D at the baseline) than in the latter after 3 years of follow-up. Adjusted logistic regression analysis confirmed these findings: hypovitaminosis D coincided with an approximately sixfold higher risk of subjects having higher abdominal FM levels at the follow-up. In conclusion, hypovitaminosis D predicts higher abdominal FM levels in the elderly.

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We have no sources of any support for the work, received in the form of grants and/or equipment or drugs.

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Correspondence to N Veronese.

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Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on European Journal of Clinical Nutrition website

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Veronese, N., Trevisan, C., Carraro, S. et al. Hypovitaminosis D and fat mass in healthy older people. Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 1080–1082 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.95

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