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Vitamin D Status and Its Relationship to Body Fat, Final Height, and Peak Bone Mass in Young Women

Department of Medicine (R.K.), McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3H 2R9; U.S. Department of Agriculture (T.R.), National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa 50010; and Department of Radiology (P.P.C., V.G.), Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90027

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Vicente Gilsanz, M.D., Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Department of Radiology, MS 81, 4650 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90027. E-mail: vgilsanz{at}chla.usc.edu.

Context: Vitamin D insufficiency has now reached epidemic proportions and has been linked to low bone mineral density, increased risk of fracture, and obesity in adults. However, this relationship has not been well characterized in young adults.

Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), anthropometric measures, body fat (BF), and bone structure at the time of peak bone mass.

Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

Outcome Measures and Subjects: Anthropometric measures, serum 25OHD radioimmunoassay values, and computed tomography and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry values of BF and bone structure in 90 postpubertal females, aged 16–22 yr, residing in California were measured.

Results: Approximately 59% of subjects were 25OHD insufficient (29 ng/ml), and 41% were sufficient (30 ng/ml). Strong negative relationships were present between serum 25OHD and computed tomography measures of visceral and sc fat and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry values of BF. In addition, weight, body mass, and imaging measures of adiposity at all sites were significantly lower in women with normal serum 25OHD concentrations than women with insufficient levels. In contrast, no relationship was observed between circulating 25OHD concentrations and measures of bone mineral density at any site. Unexpectedly, there was a positive correlation between 25OHD levels and height.

Conclusions: We found that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with increased BF and decreased height but not changes in peak bone mass.