Study links abdominal obesity and vitamin D deficiency to 123% higher death risk in over-50s
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A study of 5,520 adults over 50 found that abdominal obesity combined with vitamin D deficiency carried a 123% higher risk of death over six years. Abdominal obesity alone raised death risk by 47%, while vitamin D deficiency alone raised it by up to 91%, according to researchers from Brazil's Federal University of São Carlos and University College London. The findings appear in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
Study Design and Participants
Researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and University College London followed 5,520 people age 50 and older for six years. All participants were drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The work was funded by FAPESP and published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as blood levels below 30 nmol/L; abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference above 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women.
Mortality Risk Findings
Participants with abdominal obesity alone had a 47% higher risk of death over the study period. Vitamin D deficiency alone was associated with a risk increase of up to 91%. When both conditions were present, the mortality risk rose by 123% compared with people who had neither condition. The combined effect was substantially greater than the sum of the individual risks, the researchers said.
Researcher Guidance
Tiago Silva Alexandre, a professor in UFSCar's Department of Gerontology, said abdominal obesity is linked to inflammation and metabolic problems, while vitamin D acts as a hormone and its deficiency impairs several bodily functions. When the two conditions occur together, one amplifies the effects of the other, he said. Alexandre called for monitoring vitamin D levels and treating excess abdominal fat to prevent premature death, especially after age 50.
What's Next
The research team has not announced plans for a follow-up intervention trial to test whether treating vitamin D deficiency or reducing abdominal fat lowers mortality. It remains unclear whether routine vitamin D screening in adults over 50 would improve survival or alter clinical guidelines.
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Study links abdominal obesity and vitamin D deficiency to 123% higher death risk in over-50s
