Vitamin D deficiency and abdominal obesity increase mortality risk

A large-scale study involving over 5,500 adults aged 50 and older has found that the combination of vitamin D deficiency and abdominal obesity significantly increases the risk of death. The research, published in the journal ‘Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism’, indicates that individuals possessing both conditions face a 123% higher mortality risk compared to those with neither.

While both factors independently increase mortality risk—abdominal obesity by 47% and vitamin D deficiency by 91%—the study suggests the two conditions amplify each other's harmful effects. Professor Tiago Silva Alexandre of the Federal University of São Carlos noted that abdominal obesity is linked to inflammation and metabolic issues, while vitamin D acts as a hormone affecting various organ functions.

The six-year study was conducted using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) in collaboration with University College London (UCL) and supported by FAPESP. Researchers defined vitamin D deficiency as levels below 30 nmol/L and abdominal obesity as a waist circumference exceeding 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women.