Abstract
The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is sharply on the rise, both in Canada and worldwide. As addressing its root causes, i.e., promotion of healthy lifestyles and weight management, has been largely unsuccessful, new clues for primary prevention seem essential to curbing the increasing public health burden of T2D. In the present study, we examined whether improvements in vitamin D status, i.e., serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, are paralleled by a reduction in the risk for reaching adverse glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in a community sample of non-diabetic volunteers participating in a preventive health program that encourages the use of vitamin D. Repeated observations on 6565 participants revealed that serum 25(OH)D concentrations increased from 90.8 to 121.3 nmol/L, HbA1c values decreased from 5.6% to 5.5%, and the prevalence of having HbA1c values ≥ 5.8% decreased from 29.5% to 17.4% while in the program. Compared to participants who did not increase their 25(OH)D concentrations during follow-up, those who increased their 25(OH)D concentrations with 50 nmol/L or more were 0.74 times as likely to achieve elevated HbA1c values at follow-up (p = 0.03). These findings suggest that public health initiatives that promote vitamin D status along with healthy lifestyles in the population at large may alleviate the future public health burden associated with T2D.
Highlights
The prevalence of diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in Canada is sharply on the rise
We examine whether temporal increases in serum 25(OH)D concentrations are paralleled by a reduction in the risk for reaching adverse hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) concentrations in a community sample of non-diabetic volunteers participating in a preventive health program that encourages the use of vitamin D supplements
The mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations increased from 90.8 nmol/L at baseline to 121.3 nmol/L at follow-up, while the mean HbA1c values decreased from 5.6% at baseline to 5.5% at follow-up
Summary
The prevalence of diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in Canada is sharply on the rise. It reached9.3% in 2015 and is projected to reach 13.4% and to cost $14.6 billion in direct and indirect healthcare expenditures in 2025 [1]. The prevalence of diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in Canada is sharply on the rise. As a chronic metabolic disorder resulting from insufficient or ineffective insulin to control blood glucose concentration [2,3], T2D is primarily attributable to poor lifestyles and excess body weight. Promotion of healthy lifestyles and weight management, has been unsuccessful in curbing the increasing public health burden of T2D. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone synthesized endogenously when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays from sunlight [4,5]. Individuals without sufficient exposure to sunlight, such as Canadians who live at northern latitudes, rely on vitamin D obtained through diet and supplementation [4,5]
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