Vitamin D Levels Associated with Adipose Fat Mass

Today is the day for our weekly news on vitamin D (never hard to find some ;-) Sciencists from Atlanta (Lin. 2010) recently found that the dramatic weight loss patients experience after roux-en-y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery goes hand in hand with an initial increase in plasma 25(OH)D concentration:

Strong positive baseline and 1 month cross-sectional correlations between FAT and plasma 25(OH)D were observed, which remained after adjustment for age and race subgroup (β = 0.76 and 0.61, respectively, P = 0.02)

Interestingly, this intermittent increase was followed by a decreasing trend over the rest of the 24 month study period, so that

Despite temporary improvement in vitamin D status, a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was observed (76, 71, 67, and 82%, at baseline, 1, 6, and 24 months, respectively), and plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were lower in AA compared to white patients (P < 0.05).

The scientists conclude that in the course of the dramatic weight loss of the first weeks after surgery stored vitamin D was released from the fat cells and thus contributed to the temporary increase in vitamin D levels. This, however, was not enough to restore 25(OH)D levels, which tend to be depressed in obese individuals, anyway, to the normal range. Supplementation may thus be warranted.