The Correlation Between Vitamin D Levels and the Glycemic Marker HbA1c and Lipid Profile in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Study at the King Saud Medical City, Riyadh.

Abstract

Background and objective Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitaminalso called the sunshine vitamin, is produced in plants, and animals when exposed to sunlight. It plays a crucial role in musculoskeletal development, immune system regulation, and glucose metabolism, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the association of vitamin D levels with glycemic control markers [glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)] and lipid profile, as well as sociodemographic factors and comorbidities. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted at the King Saud Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, among adult diabetic patients aged 20 years and above. The sociodemographic characteristics, vitamin D levels, HbA1c, and lipid profilesof 472 participantswere studied. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statisticsversion 27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results The majority of the participants were women (n=296, 62.7%); the mean age of the cohort was 56.5 ±13.13 years. Most participants were Saudi nationals (n=361, 76.5%). Lab tests revealed vitamin D deficiency (71.41 ±36.88 nmol/l) and elevated HbA1c(9.49 ±9.85%) in the cohort. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels were higher than normal (2.71 ±4.26 mmol/l), while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was slightly lower (1.23 ±0.39 mmol/l). Bivariate correlations showed weak negative and positive associations between vitamin D and HbA1c(r=-0.093, p<0.05) and HDL (r=0.114, p<0.05), respectively. HbA1ccorrelated positively with triglycerides (r=0.168, p<0.01). Conclusions We found an association between deficiency of vitamin D and levels of HbA1cand lipid profile in type 2 diabetes patients. The association was marked by low vitamin D levels and characterized by high HbA1c, LDL cholesterol, and lipid profile. Elevated HbA1c, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels suggested vitamin D's role in lipid homeostasis. Variations in biomarker levels across sociodemographic factors highlight the needfor personalized interventions for diabetes prevention and management.