Association between High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Vitamin D Levels in Adult Men in the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patients with metabolic syndrome had low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency is also related to metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the association between vitamin D and HDL-C levels.METHODS: To determine the association between HDL-C and vitamin D levels, 5,537 males who had no missing values were systematically selected from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Then, the association was investigated by a multivariable logistic regression analysis after adjusting for the effects of confounding factors on vitamin D and HDL-C levels, such as age, body mass index (BMI), sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle factors.RESULTS: In Korean men aged ≥20 years, the mean vitamin D and HDL-C levels were 18.3±0.2 ng/mL and 46.8±0.2 mg/dL, respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of low HDL-C levels was 29.2±0.8%. After adjusting for age, BMI, sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle factors, the risk of low HDL-C levels in the lowest quartile of vitamin D level was 1.296 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.035–1.623) times higher and that in the second quartile of vitamin D level was 1.354 (95% CI, 1.086–1.690) times higher than that in the third quartile of vitamin D level (P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The risk of low HDL-C levels is associated with vitamin D level after adjustment for age, BMI, sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle factors.