Deficiency of one vitamin with a large belly doubles the risk of death

Scientists have discovered a deadly combination: the combination of abdominal obesity and vitamin D deficiency in people over 50 increases the risk of death within the next six years by 123% compared to those who do not have these problems. The results of the study were published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (DOM).

As part of a large-scale study, scientists monitored 5,520 people over the age of 50 for six years. Abdominal obesity was determined by waist circumference — over 102 cm in men and over 88 cm in women. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a level below 30 nmol/L.

Each of these conditions individually was also found to be associated with increased mortality: abdominal obesity increased the risk by 47%, and vitamin D deficiency by 91%. However, it was their simultaneous presence that showed the most alarming figures.

The authors of the study explain the mechanism as follows: abdominal fat tissue "traps" vitamin D, retaining it in fat cells and reducing its availability to other organs. The vitamin deficiency, in turn, weakens immune defense and fuels chronic inflammation — creating a vicious cycle in which both conditions continuously exacerbate each other.

The lead researcher, Professor Tiago da Silva Alexandre from the Department of Gerontology at the Federal University of São Carlos, emphasizes that with age, chronic inflammation increases on its own, making this combination particularly dangerous for older adults.