title: Vitamin d deficiency in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus in southern region of saudi arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Type-2 diabetes mellitus and Vitamin D deficiency are both common in Saudi Arabian population. New roles of vitamin D have emerged recently especially in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer and insulin resistance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate 25-OH vitamin D deficiency in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus in comparison to normal age-matched non-diabetic control population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Randomized Case-Control study was done in three tertiary care hospitals in Southern Region, Saudi Arabia from June 2010 to June 2012 and 345 patients were selected; 172 in the diabetic group and 173 in the non-diabetic group. Biochemical workup and 25-OH vitamin D levels were done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum 25-OH vitamin D levels in the diabetic group were 15.7 + 7.5 ng/mL as compared healthy non-diabetic group having 11.1 + 5.9 ng/mL and a total of 340 patients (98.5%) from both groups were found to be deficient in 25-OH vitamin D which is the highest reported so far in Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The population in our study was generally deficient in 25-OH vitamin D irrespective of diabetes mellitus indicating a greater need for vitamin D supplementation.
authors.affiliation: King Khalid University, Department of Medicine, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alhumaidi
authors.affiliation: Blackpool Victoria Hospital, SPR Endocrinology & Diabetes, Blackpool, UK.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agha
authors.affiliation: Consultant Endocrinology, Riyadh Military Hospital Riyadh Military Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dewish
keywords: Saudi Arabia; diabetes mellitus; sunlight exposure; vitamin D deficiency