Vitamin D, estradiol deficiency have synergistic effect on MetS

(HealthDay)—For Chinese postmenopausal women, vitamin D (VitD) and estradiol (E₂) deficiency have a synergistic effect on metabolic syndrome (MetS), according to a study published online June 10 in Menopause.

Hui Huang, M.D., from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues examined 616 postmenopausal women from southern China who were not taking estrogen or VitD/calcium supplements in a cross-sectional study. For each participant, serum E₂ and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) were measured.

The researchers identified a positive correlation between 25(OH)D and E₂. There was a correlation for higher 25(OH)D with a favorable lipid profile, blood pressure, and glucose level. There was a negative association for E₂ with cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. After multivariable adjustment, the odds ratio for MetS was 2.19 for VitD-deficient versus VitD-sufficient women. After further adjustment for E₂ levels, this association persisted. Low E₂ increased MetS risk in women with VitD deficiency after stratified analysis by VitD status (odds ratio, 3.49 for the lowest versus highest tertile).

"This study emphasizes the possible synergistic roles of VitD and E₂ deficiency in developing MetS in postmenopausal women," the authors write. "Prospective and interventional studies are further needed to confirm this cross-sectional association."

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