title: Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes: Is there a link?
abstract: Prevention, or at least delay in onset of type 2 diabetes is possible by intensive lifestyle intervention. This is costly and labour intensive, and alternative methods of preventing diabetes have been sought. Vitamin D has important physiological effects aside from its effects on bone metabolism, including an important role in glucose homeostasis, insulin release and response. Observational data strongly support the role of vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. The time is ripe for a well conducted randomised controlled trial of vitamin D in high risk individuals to test the hypothesis that vitamin D delays the onset of type 2 diabetes.
authors.forename: Tahseen A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Graham A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Hitman
mesh_terms: D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012621:Seasons; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications*