The Relationship Between Serum Vitamin D Level and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Objective: Vitamin D (VD) could play a role in pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) by affecting either insulin sensitivity or pancreatic β-cell function. This article is about the relationship between T2DM and VD levels.
 Material and Methods: The 4678 individuals were included in the study. Of these, 1764 were T2DM patients and 2914 were healthy individuals. Correlation analysis was carried out between VD, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and duration of illness in the T2DM patients. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent predictors.
 Results: VD levels were significantly lower in the T2DM patients compared to the control group. The VD level of T2DM patients with HbA1c >7% was lower than those with HbA1c <7%. The VD level of T2DM patients using insulin was found to be significantly lower compared to those not using insulin. Among the T2DM patients, VD level was found to be the highest in those without complications and the lowest in those with nephropathy. The cut-off value for VD was calculated as 16.95 ng/mL. According to the logistic regression test, low serum VD levels were found to be an independent risk factor for the development of T2DM and its complications.
 Conclusion: VD deficiency may be a risk factor for the development of T2DM. In our study, VD levels were significantly lower in the T2DM patients and those having complications of T2DM than the healthy individuals.