title: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with retinopathy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is associated with an increased prevalence of microvascular complications in young people with type 1 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study of 517 patients, 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured. Retinopathy was assessed by 7-field stereoscopic retinal photography, peripheral neuropathy by thermal and vibration threshold testing, and microalbuminuria by albumin excretion rate or albumin-to-creatinine ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Retinopathy prevalence was higher in cases with VDD versus sufficiency (18 vs. 9%, P = 0.02); deficiency was not associated with microalbuminuria or neuropathy. In logistic regression, retinopathy was associated with VDD (odds ratio 2.12 [95% CI 1.03-4.33]), diabetes duration (1.13, 1.05-1.23), and HbA(1c) (1.24, 1.02-1.50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VDD is associated with an increased prevalence of retinopathy in young people with type 1 diabetes. The inflammatory and angiogenic effects of VDD may contribute to early retinal vascular damage; however, further investigations are warranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Harleen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Kim C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Donaghue
authors.forename: Albert K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benitez-Aguirre
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hing
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cusumano
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pryke
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Craig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin