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


OBJECTIVE
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.
School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. a.a.tahrani@bham.ac.uk
A A
AA
Tahrani
A
A
Ball
L
L
Shepherd
A
A
Rahim
A F
AF
Jones
A
A
Bates
D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D015995:Prevalence; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone