4 Topic Commentaries

Abdominal obesity plus vitamin D deficiency may signal higher mortality

• 

  Cedric Garland, DrPH

  Preventive Medicine

  •

  University of California, San Diego

  This new finding is based on the association of low vitamin D with risk of premature death from all causes, not just bone diseases.

  Source
• 

  Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, MD

  Cardiology

  •

  Mayo Clinic

  This group has the highest death rate, even higher than those who are considered obese based on body mass index. From a public health perspective, this is a significant finding.

  Source
• 

  Karine Sahakyan, MD, PhD

  Cardiovascular Research

  •

  Mayo Clinic

  The high risk of death may be related to a higher visceral fat accumulation in this group, which is associated with insulin resistance and other risk factors, the limited amount of fat located on the hips and legs, which is fat with presumed protective effects, and to the relatively limited amount of muscle mass.

  Source
• 

  Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

  Internal Medicine

  •

  Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School

  Increased waist circumference strongly predicts worse health and earlier death.

  Source