Study on Prevalence and Severity of Vitamin D Deficiency in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Background: The current worldwide epidemic of diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem because of the high toll of vascular complications. Vitamin D deficiency as emerging epidemic have effect on pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus by various mechanisms.

Aims: The objectives were to assess the prevalence and severity of vitamin D deficiency in type 2 DM as well as to record the effect of hyperglycaemia on serum vitamin D level.

Methods: In this case-control study 70 type 2 diabetic patients were taken as cases and 70 healthy individuals as controls. All participants included in this study were subjected to complete history taking and clinical examination and routine laboratory Investigations were done for all participants. The data was analyse using appropriate statistical tests.

Results: The prevalence of low vitamin D level (inclusive of insufficiency and deficiency) was 18.57% in healthy controls, while 84.29% in diabetic group. Mean level of vitamin D in cases was 25.73±7.27 while 34.55±5.17 in healthy population (p value <0.05). Vitamin D deficiency is more seen in uncontrolled diabetes patients. Inverse correlation was recorded between HbA1C and serum vitamin D level (r = - 0.281, p value = <0.001).

Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in diabetic patients as compare to normal healthy population. All patients of type 2 Diabetes patients must have screened for serum vitamin D level and if found deficient than it should be treated promptly with vitamin D supplements for better control of hyperglycaemia.