Vitamin D & Type II Diabetes
ADEQUATE VITAMIN D LEVELS PROTECT AGAINST TYPE 2 DIABETES
A study has concluded that avoidance of vitamin D deficiency may protect against type 2 diabetes, at least for elderly people, but that further research will be required to assess whether supplementation might help prevent this disorder.
Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for developing diabetes type 2, suggesting that elderly people in northern latitudes may be at risk.
Researchers followed 668 people who were 70 to 74 years of age to determine their blood levels of vitamin D and glycated hemoglobin and whether they had or developed diabetes 2. They allowed for potentially confounding factors, including gender, body mass index (BMI), blood levels of triglycerides and cholesterol, PCB levels, smoking status, and month of sampling.
The team still found that those with lower blood levels of vitamin D (below 50 nmol/L) had double the risk of being diagnosed with diabetes 2; they also had increased glycated hemoglobin concentrations, which indicate poorer control of blood glucose levels and greater cardiovascular risk. Released April 22, 2011, this study will appear in a future print issue of Diabetes Care and is available online now at http://bit.ly/fY36Ld.
Vitamin D Levels Low In Rheumatic Patients
Three separate studies paint a worrisome picture of vitamin D deficiencies among patients of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic disorders are those of the joints and connective tissue and include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and lupus, among others.
Two new studies found deficient vitamin D levels in these patients. But a third new study found deficiencies of vitamin D still remained in most patients even after supplementation for six months, with 800-1000 IU. This suggests that vitamin D is a common finding in rheumatic patients and that supplementation with 800-1000 IU is insufficient to normalize levels.
Would higher levels of supplementation work? The researchers report that the answer is not yet clear. All three studies were separately presented June 18 at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, in Rome. They have not been published yet.