title: Vitamin D and diabetes: Where do we stand?
abstract: The potential beneficial effects of supplementing vitamin D or treatment with pharmacological doses of vitamin D in the prevention or cure of diseases like type 1 (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains the subject of debate. Data from epidemiological and association studies clearly indicate a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and a higher prevalence of both forms of diabetes. In animal models, vitamin D deficiency predisposes to type 1 and type 2 diabetes, whereas high doses of vitamin D or its active hormonal form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, prevent disease. Large scale, randomized, blinded prospective studies however, remain lacking. Here we discuss the current literature on a role for vitamin D in diabetes. We propose, in particular, to avoid vitamin D deficiency in individuals at risk of developing T1D or T2D. Applying international guidelines on supplementation of vitamin D using small daily doses of vitamin D (500-1000IU) may contribute to reduce the burden of diabetes by preventing vitamin D deficiency. Any other recommendations are at present not supported by data.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium. Electronic address: chantal.mathieu@med.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mathieu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015984:Causality; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C097949:1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D
keywords: Clinical and experimental endocrinology