The prevalence of vitamin D abnormalities in South Asians with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the UK

• Published in: International journal of clinical practice (Esher) Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 351 - 355
• Main Authors: Tahrani, A. A., Ball, A., Shepherd, L., Rahim, A., Jones, A. F., Bates, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2010; Wiley-Blackwell; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Asia - ethnology; Asian people; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - ethnology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Epidemiology; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Female; General aspects; Glycated Hemoglobin A - metabolism; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Parathyroid Hormone - metabolism; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; United Kingdom - epidemiology; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin D Deficiency - ethnology; Vitamin deficiency; United Kingdom; Asia; Europe; South Asia; United Kingdom > UK; Endocrinopathy; Type 2 diabetes; Medicine; Prevalence; Vitamin D; Metabolic diseases; Anomaly; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 1368-5031; 1742-1241
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2009.02221.x

Summary Background:  The high prevalence of both hypovitaminosis D and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the Asian community is well recognised, but the impact of diabetes on vitamin D status and vice versa, has not been well reported. Aims:  To determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Asian patients with T2DM and its impact on glycaemic control. Methods:  A cross‐sectional study was conducted in a tertiary referral centre in the UK. Two hundred and ten Asian patients aged more than 40 years were included (170 with and 40 without T2DM). Each had a standard bone profile (serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase), serum parathyroid hormone and 25‐hydroxycholecalciferol. Results:  The prevalence of low serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (< 50 nmol/l) was high in the group as a whole (> 80%) and more common in diabetics compared with controls (83% vs. 70%; p = 0.07). This was particularly so in men (82.5% vs. 57.9%; p = 0.02). HbA1c was higher in women with vitamin D deficiency (< 12.5 nmol/l) (8.11 ± 1.11% vs. 7.33 ± 1.32%, p = 0.046). In logistic regression analysis, T2DM was an independent predictor of hypovitaminosis D. In linear regression analysis, vitamin D deficiency was independently related to HbA1c in women with T2DM. Conclusions:  Hypovitaminosis D remains a major public health issue in the Asian population and is exaggerated in patients with T2DM. The fact that vitamin D deficient women had higher HbA1c levels raises the possibility that vitamin D replacement may improve glycaemic control.