The association of vitamin D deficiency in hypertensive patients with other metabolic syndrome risk factors

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is now recognised as a common health problem associated with various chronic diseases; however, it has not been fully elucidated among Iraqi patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate the association between, vitamin D deficiency and other metabolic syndrome risk factors ( atherogenic dyslipidemia, impaired fasting glucose/diabetes mellitus, obesity /increased waist circumference) in a group of hypertensive Iraqi patients. PATIENT AND METHODS: Eighty Iraqi patients were recruited from a health center , mean age 56.3 year. Male were 32 and female were 48. All the patients were hypertensive and vitamin D deficient. Blood tests were performed in those patients to quantify serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 OH-Vit D) and different laboratory parameters associated to metabolic syndrome . The association between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome (and each of its components) was examined. Results: Eighty Iraqi patients were studied, all the patients were vitamin D deficient and hypertensive ( 100%),69 patients ( 86.25%) have associated atherogenic dyslipidemia ( P < 0.001), 44 patients ( 55%) have associated diabetes mellitus(DM)/impaired fasting blood glucose( FBG) ( P < 0.001), 54 patients ( 67.50%) have associated obesity/ increased waist circumference ( P < 0.001), 62 patients ( 77.5% ) have 3 combined risk factor ( fulfilling the definition criteria of metabolic syndrome) ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome risk factors, larger randomised controlled trials are needed to better define whether vitamin D repletion can modify these risk factors and reduce the consequences of metabolic syndrome.