Association Between Adequate Serum 25(OH)D Levels and Atherogenic Dyslipidemia in Young Adults

Ching-Way Chen; Yin-Yi Han; Jing-Shiang Hwang; Manfredi Rizzo; Shizuya Yamashita; Sandy Huey-Jen Hsu; Ta-Chen Su

doi:10.5551/jat.64523

Association Between Adequate Serum 25(OH)D Levels and Atherogenic Dyslipidemia in Young Adults

J Atheroscler Thromb. 2023 Dec 5. doi: 10.5551/jat.64523. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ching-Way Chen^{1

2}, Yin-Yi Han^{3

4}, Jing-Shiang Hwang⁵, Manfredi Rizzo⁶, Shizuya Yamashita⁷, Sandy Huey-Jen Hsu⁸, Ta-Chen Su^{9

10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine.
² Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch.
³ Department of Anesthesiology, National Taiwan University Hospital.
⁴ Department of Traumatology, National Taiwan University Hospital.
⁵ Institute of Statistical Science, Academia Sinica.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMIS), Università degli Studi di Palermo UNIPA.
⁷ Department of Cardiology, Rinku General Medical Center.
⁸ Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University.
⁹ Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital.
¹⁰ Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University.
¹¹ Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital.

PMID: 38057082
DOI: 10.5551/jat.64523

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency and novel biomarkers of atherogenic dyslipidemia among young adults.

Method: A total of 976 young adults were recruited between 2011 and 2019. Their serum 25(OH)D levels were measured, and lipid profile markers, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), low-density lipoprotein triglyceride (LDL-TG), and small-dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C), were assessed as novel biomarkers of atherogenic dyslipidemia. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze the association between vitamin D levels and lipid profile markers. Odds ratios were calculated to assess the risk of atherogenic dyslipidemia in individuals with serum 25(OH)D levels below 30 ng/mL compared to those with levels above 30 ng/mL. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to explore potential mediation pathways.

Results: The study found a significant association between vitamin D levels and lower levels of LDL-C, LDL-TG, sdLDL-C, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), triglycerides, and total cholesterol. Individuals with serum 25(OH)D levels below 30 ng/mL exhibited significantly higher odds ratios for developing atherogenic dyslipidemia in a dose-response pattern compared to those with vitamin D levels above 30 ng/mL. Notably, structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that vitamin D did not affect atherogenic lipid markers through the mediation of insulin resistance markers or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence of an association between vitamin D deficiency and atherogenic dyslipidemia in young adults. It further highlights that individuals with serum 25(OH)D levels below 30 ng/mL are at a significantly higher risk of developing atherogenic dyslipidemia in a dose-response manner compared to those with higher vitamin D levels. These findings underscore the potential role of vitamin D in dyslipidemia management and emphasize the importance of maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels for cardiovascular health in young adults.

Keywords: 25-hydroxyvitamin D; Atherogenic dyslipidemia; Cardiovascular diseases; LDL-C; LDL-TG; Vitamin D deficiency; sdLDL-C.