Vitamin D deficiency is associated with metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women

•Vitamin D deficiency and the increase in the prevalence of obesity are considered important public health issues.•However, data for postmenopausal women are sparse and contradictory.•We aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.•Vitamin D deficiency in postmenopausal women was associated with a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome. To evaluate the association between vitamin D (VD) deficiency and risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MetS) in postmenopausal women. Observational, cross-sectional cohort study. In this study, 463 women, aged 45–75 years, with amenorrhea >12months, without VD supplementation or established cardiovascular disease were included. Clinical and anthropometric data were collected. Biochemical parameters, including total cholesterol (TC), HDL, LDL, triglycerides, glucose, insulin and 25-hydroxyvitamin-D [25(OH)D] were measured. Women meeting three or more of the following criteria were diagnosed with MetS: waist circumference >88cm, triglycerides ≥150mg/dL, HDL