Vitamin D deficiency, which is usually detected by using immunoassays or the more reliable liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods, has recently been considered a public health problem worldwide. However, the vitamin D status in Chinese populations, as measured using the LC-MS/MS method, is not available. The objective of this multicenter study was to determine the vitamin D status and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency by using a reliable method in 5 large cities in China. From May 1 to September 31, 2013, we conducted a multicenter study on 2173 apparently healthy adults who were recruited from 5 Chinese cities. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25OHD2 and 25OHD3 levels were measured using the LC-MS/MS method. Intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphate levels were also measured using an automatic analyzer. The mean 25OHD level of all participants was 19.4 ± 6.4 ng/mL (2.5–97.5%: 7.9–32.6 ng/mL), and only 109 (5.0%) participants had a 25OHD2 level >2.5 ng/mL (maximum, 22.4 ng/mL). In this study, the prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency (30 ng/mL) was 5.9%, 50.0%, 38.7%, and 5.4%, respectively. Women had a significant higher rate of deficiency than men (66.3% vs 45.3%, P < 0.01). Participants aged 18 to 39 years had a lower 25OHD level than elderly individuals (>59 years). Lifestyle may influence the 25OHD level more than the latitude, with participants in Dalian having the highest 25OHD level and the lowest deficiency rate. The serum iPTH level showed a significant negative correlation with the 25OHD level (r = −0.23, P < 0.01) after correcting for age and sex. In conclusion, the present study evaluated the vitamin D status using a reliable method, and our results indicate that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among all age groups in China, especially among younger adults. We also observed significant differences in the 25OHD levels according to sex, age, and region among apparently healthy individuals.

Hyperuricemia is common in China and the relevance of hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been highlighted, but to date there has been rarely nation-wide study in China. Here, we aim to estimate the current prevalence of hyperuricemia and evaluate the associations between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) clustering in a large sample of China adults including a plurality of ethnic minorities. Generally, a nationally representative sample of 22983 adults aged ≥18 years was recruited from 2007 to 2011. Questionnaire data and information on anthropometric characteristics, and laboratory measurements were collected. We define hyperuricemia as SUA ≥416 mmol/L for men and SUA ≥357 mmol/L for women. We found that the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 13.0% (18.5% in men and 8.0% in women). To our estimation, hyperuricemic subjects had higher prevalence rates of CRFs clustering than non-hyperuricemic subjects. Furthermore, there was a dose-response association between the number of CVD risk factors clustering and hyperuricemia. Our study revealed a high prevalence of hyperuricemia and CVD risk factors clustering among Chinese adults, and hyperuricemia was significantly associated with coexistence of more CVD risk factors. Therefore, guidance and effective lifestyle intervention are required to prevent hyperuricemia and CVD risk factors in China.

Copeptin is the carboxyl-terminus of the arginine vasopressin (AVP) precursor peptide. The main physiological functions of AVP are fluid and osmotic balance, cardiovascular homeostasis, and regulation of endocrine stress response. Copeptin, which is released in an equimolar mode with AVP from the neurohypophysis, has emerged as a stable and simple-to-measure surrogate marker of AVP and has displayed enormous potential in clinical practice. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently recognized as a primary threat to the health of the population worldwide, and thus, rapid and effective approaches to identify individuals that are at high risk of, or have already developed CVD are required. Copeptin is a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in CVD, including the rapid rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), mortality prediction in heart failure (HF), and stroke. This review summarizes and discusses the value of copeptin in the diagnosis, discrimination, and prognosis of CVD (AMI, HF, and stroke), as well as the caveats and prospects for the application of this potential biomarker.