ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, LIVER ENZYMES, LIPID PROFILE, AND VITAMIN D STATUS IN ADULTS WITH OBESITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

BACKGROUND

Vitamin D has pleiotropic effects on insulin secretion, lipid metabolism, immune modulation, and blood pressure regulation through ubiquitously expressed vitamin D receptors.

OBJECTIVE

This cross-sectional study sought to investigate the associations between inflammatory markers, liver enzymes, lipid profile, glycemic parameters, hemodynamic measures, and vitamin D status in adults with obesity.

METHODS

A total of 68 adults with obesity were enrolled and stratified by age younger than 40 years versus older than 40 years and BMI (normal weight BMI<25 kg/m² versus overweight BMI ≥25 kg/m², or both. Demographic characteristics, smoking status, and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Lipid profile, glycemic control, liver enzymes, vitamin D, and inflammation markers were measured.

RESULTS

Adults older than 40 years had significantly higher systolic blood pressure (p=0.016), fasting serum glucose (p=0.017), and HbA1c (p=0.005) compared to younger adults. Overweight individuals demonstrated significantly higher CRP levels (p=0.040) compared to normal-weight individuals. Triglycerides (AUC=0.638) and systolic blood pressure (AUC=0.634) demonstrated a weak association with vitamin D deficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrated the multifactorial nature of vitamin D regulation in obesity and reflect the unreliability of measuring serum vitamin D in clinical settings as a diagnostic tool in obese individuals, particularly when coexisting with ageing.