Abstract
Objective: Vitamin D has long been acknowledged as vital in preventing and managing osteoporosis. However, there is controversy over which vitamin D supplementation strategies are best for maintaining optimal bone mineral density levels for adults. This study aimed to determine the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D Levels and total bone mineral density.
Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011 to 2008 cycles. The primary exposures were 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Bone Mineral Density. A multivariable logistic regression approach was used to model and adjust the variables relevant to the associations.
Results: There is a U-shaped association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D Levels and bone mineral density among adults, and the concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was 81.1 nmol/L. Among males, those below 84.5 nmol/L showed a significant positive association (p= 0.0012), whereas above this threshold, the association was non-significant and slightly negative (p=0.0001). For females, those below 31.4 nmol/L exhibited a significant positive association (p=0.0034), whereas above this threshold, the association remained positive but weaker and marginally significant (p= 0.0002).
Conclusions: The optimal 25-hydroxyvitamin D level for adult males is 84.5 nmol/L. Higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are not conducive to increased bone mineral density for males. For adult females, setting the threshold for vitamin D deficiency above 31.4 nmol/L is crucial, as higher levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D are more beneficial for increasing bone density.