Vitamin D is not Related to Insulin Resistance in African-American and African Immigrant Women

Authors

• BA Bingham
• PC Aldana
• MT Duong
• LS Mabundo
• M Ricks
• JT Reynolds
• AE Sumner
• ST Chung

Abstract

The role of vitamin D (25(OH)D) in mediating insulin resistance is controversial in African-Americans (AA) and unknown in African Immigrant (AI) women. Low vitamin D may be related to sequestration in adipose tissue but not to decreased insulin mediated glucose uptake. Our goal was to examine the relationship of 25(OH)D with 3 measures of insulin resistance in 90 healthy African descent women living in the DC metro area (40% AA and 60% AI; age 41±10 (mean±SD), range: 22-61y; BMI 30±6, range: 21-41kg/m2). Insulin resistance was measured in 3 ways: (1) insulin sensitivity index (SI) via minimal modeling as our reference standard, (2) Matsuda Index during an OGTT and (3) HOMA-IR from fasting measures. Total 25(OH)D was measured by immunoassay and percent (%) fat by DXA. Total 25(OH)D was 21±8ng/mL and did not differ by ethnicity (AA: 20±8 vs AI: 22±7 ng/mL, P=0.11). Percent fat was similar in AA and AIs (38±6 vs 37±7, P=0.6). AI women had lived in the US for 14±9y. In the entire cohort, 25(OH)D negatively correlated with BMI (-0.3, P=0.01) and percent fat (r=-0.3, P

Scientific Focus Area: Health Disparities

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