Project Details
E.W. "Al" Thrasher
Status: Funded - Closed
Significance of vitamin D status in obese adolescents: A pilot study to examine the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors
Seema Kumar, M.D.
Summary
BACKGROUND: Obesity is a well-known risk factor for vitamin D insufficiency and vast majority of obese children and adolescents have insufficient levels of vitamin D. Observational studies in adults have shown consistent associations between low vitamin D status and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. GAP: There is little information on the implications of vitamin D deficiency in obese children. Additionally, it is unknown whether supplementation with vitamin D in obese adolescents results in improvement in insulin resistance and other biomarkers for cardiometabolic disease. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesize that vitamin D insufficiency correlates positively with insulin resistance and other biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease in obese adolescents and that vitamin D3 supplementation improves these parameters in this population. METHODS: Obese adolescents between the ages of 12-18 years are randomized to vitamin D3 supplementation, 2000 IU orally daily, or to 400 IU orally daily for a period of 12 weeks. Various biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease and a 3 hour oral glucose tolerance test are obtained at baseline and at the end of the 12 week supplementation period. RESULTS: “Pending”. DISCUSSION: We expect that the outcomes of this study would contribute to development of guidelines for screening of vitamin D levels in obese adolescents. We expect that the results of this study would enable us to identify and treat an easily modifiable risk factor in the hopes of preventing the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in obese children who are at risk.
Keywords:
Cardiac, Human, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity, Randomized Clinical Trial, Treatment, Vitamin D
Publications: