Sex-Specific Effects of Vitamin D Status on the Metabolic Profile in Prediabetic Subjects

Teresa Gisinger; Michael Leutner; Evelyne Wohlschläger-Krenn; Robert Winker; Sonja Nistler; Georg Endler; Alexandra Kautzky-Willer

doi:10.1155/2021/2811756

Sex-Specific Effects of Vitamin D Status on the Metabolic Profile in Prediabetic Subjects

Int J Endocrinol. 2021 Oct 5:2021:2811756. doi: 10.1155/2021/2811756. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Teresa Gisinger¹, Michael Leutner¹, Evelyne Wohlschläger-Krenn², Robert Winker², Sonja Nistler², Georg Endler³, Alexandra Kautzky-Willer^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Unit of Gender Medicine, Clinical Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
² Health and Prevention Center KFA, Vienna, Austria.
³ Gruppenpraxis Labors.at, Vienna, Austria.
⁴ Gender Institute, 3571 Gars am Kamp, Austria.

Abstract

Introduction: We aim to investigate the effect of vitamin D on metabolic parameters in a population with prediabetes and to detect possible sex differences.

Methods: In 621 patients with diagnosed prediabetes, glucose, lipid, and anthropometric parameters were measured. Furthermore, the interaction of 25-OH-vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) with metabolic and glucose metabolism parameters was analysed in the total prediabetic population, as well as after stratification by sex (female vs. male prediabetic subgroup), by logistic regression.

Results: 25-OH-vitamin D was negatively related to cholesterol, BMI, fatty liver index, insulin, and HOMA-IR. Especially in the male prediabetic cohort, 25-OH-vitamin D levels negatively correlated with total cholesterol levels (r = -0.17, p=0.001), with triglycerides (r = -0.17, p=0.001), and with HbA1c levels (r = -0.14, p=0.010). Only in the female cohort with prediabetes, we found a negative correlation of 25-OH-vitamin D levels with systolic (r = -0.18, p=0.005) and diastolic blood pressures (r = -0.23, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: In this study, in females with prediabetes, 25-OH-vitamin D was notably related to a more favourable metabolic profile, including lower total cholesterol and higher HDL cholesterol levels. On the contrary, in men with prediabetes, there was a stronger association between 25-OH-vitamin D and cholesterol-HDL quotient, as well as fatty liver index was observed in the male prediabetic subgroup. Therefore, sex differences should be considered in future studies on vitamin D and glucose tolerance status.