Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and is associated with depleted vitamin C status. The underlying aetiologies and pathogeneses responsible for this association are poorly understood. This retrospective study explored the vitamin C status of 136 adult outpatients with types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (T1DM/T2DM), with a focus on indices of renal function and metabolic health, including body weight. In the T1DM group (n = 73), the median plasma vitamin C concentration was 33 (18, 48) µmol/L, with 37% hypovitaminosis C and 12% deficiency. In the T2DM group (n = 63), the median plasma concentration was 15 (7, 29) µmol/L, with 68% hypovitaminosis C and 38% deficiency. Lower vitamin C was associated with macroalbuminuria (p = 0.03), renal dysfunction (p = 0.08), and hypertension (p = 0.0005). Inverse associations were also observed between plasma vitamin C and various other metabolic health parameters (p < 0.05), especially body weight (p < 0.0001), which was higher in those with hypovitaminosis C (<23 µmol/L; p = 0.0001). The association with bodyweight remained, even after multivariable analysis. In summary, body weight was a significant predictor of low vitamin C status in people with diabetes. This suggests that people with both diabetes and a high body weight may have greater than average vitamin C requirements.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus is a complex disorder characterised by chronic metabolic dysregulation and potentially life-threatening complications [1]
The patients were recruited to ensure that a broad range of renal function were equivalently represented in both Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
This relates partly to the recruitment process and partly to the clinical–epidemiological differences between these two types of diabetes, as T1DM onset typically occurs in childhood or early to mid-adulthood, whereas T2DM is associated with obesity and typically occurs in mid to late adulthood
Summary
Diabetes mellitus is a complex disorder characterised by chronic metabolic dysregulation and potentially life-threatening complications [1]. The more common type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) results from resistance to insulin action and may be present for many years before detection. Chronic hyperglycaemia can result in severe complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular diseases [1]. In 2019, worldwide cases of diabetes comprised approximately 463 million people, with approximately 38 million new cases of diabetes since 2017 [2,3,4]. Significant socioeconomic and ethnic disparities are observed in many regions of the world, including in Australia and New Zealand, where indigenous Aboriginal, Māori and Pasifika peoples have a higher prevalence of T2DM and its associated complications [5,6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
