Assessment of the Serum Level of Vitamin D and Glycemic and Anthropometric Indices in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Vitamin D deficiency is considered a risk factor for many chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Considering the role of vitamin D in incidence and prevalence of diabetes and the widespread prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Iran, the present study was conducted with the purpose of assessing the serum level of vitamin D with glycemic and anthropometric indices in diabetic patients. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 84 T2DM patients were selected. Anthropometric indices [weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI, waist-hip ratio (WHR)] and Biochemical parameters (fasting serum glucose, HbA1C, fasting insulin, 25(OH) vitamin D, and insulin resistance index) were measured. The participants were divided based on the serum level of vitamin D into three tertiles of severe deficiency (0-10ng/ml), moderate deficiency (10-20ng/ml), and insufficiency (20-30ng/ml). Data were analyzed using Chi-square, independent t-, ANOVA, and Pearson tests. The level of significance was considered at p<0.05. The serum level of 25(OH) D in females was significantly lower than males (p<0.05). A significant relationship was observed between fasting blood sugar level, WHR, and vitamin D, but the relationship between vitamin D and other factors (Insulin, HbA1C, and HOMA-IR) and anthropometric parameters, was not statistically significant. In the present study, due to the negative correlation between vitamin D level and fasting blood sugar, which is indicative of indirect effect of vitamin D on insulin secretion, and also high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in diabetic patients, it can be concluded that hypovitaminosis D has a negative effect on glucose homeostasis.