Efficacy of Vitamin D interventional strategies in saudi children and adults.

Despite the amount of sunshine in Saudi Arabia, vitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency is highly prevalent among Saudis. Several strategies are known to improve 25(OH)D status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different interventional strategies in improving 25(OH)D status in Saudi children and adults. This interventional study was undertaken among 593 out of 1152 Saudi subjects [530 students (aged 13-17 years) and 63 teachers (aged 26-46 years)] over a 6-month period from different secondary schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 25(OH)D status was taken at baseline and after 6 months post interventions. Subjects were divided into 3 groups and requested to implement different vitamin D correction schemes: sun-exposure, vitamin D-fortified milk consumption, and oral vitamin D supplementation (1000IU/day). Follow-up results revealed that all correction strategies used could decrease the deficiency of serum 25(OH)D with different potencies, with the highest positive percentage change observed in oral supplementation in both adults and children (11% men, 17% women, 16% boys and 8% girls). The oral vitamin D supplementation strategy also showed significant positive associations between delta (Δ) changes and HDL-cholesterol in both adults and children. In conclusion, oral vitamin D supplementation was the most effective strategy in improving vitamin D status in Saudi adults and children than sunlight exposure or consumption of vitamin D-fortified dairy products.

BPA exposure is related to metabolic changes in obese Saudi children.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Bisphenol A (BPA) disturbs the metabolism in animals and humans through effecting endocrine system. The role of BPA in obesity is not studied well. Therefore, current study is conducted to investigate its association with childhood obesity. METHODS: Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) serum BPA level was measured in 177 (120 normal and 57 obese) Saudi children. RESULTS: The analyses of the data revealed an elevated level of serum BPA, leptin, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, insulin and vitamin D in obese children as compare to normal controls. An elevated serum BPA did not show association with increased vitamin D and insulin while positively associated with some of the key markers of obesity. BPA was also positively associated with laptin, insulin and diastolic blood pressure in individuals of both normal and obese groups but with little statistical differences. CONCLUSION: Higher BPA level in obese children reveals that it may involve in the childhood obesity as it has shown a significant association with the key makers of the obesity in obese children especially in boys.