Vitamin D Status among Type-2 Diabetic Patients and Healthy Controls and Its Association with Age, Gender and Level of Adiposity

Abstract

Background: There is paucity of information on vitamin D status and its association with risk factors of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among people living with type-2 diabetes in Nigeria. Objectives: To assess the vitamin D status of adult T2DM patients, and to demonstrate if there are associations between vitamin D levels and socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, and body mass index. Materials and Methods: A total of 128 adults (T2DM patients, n = 64; non-diabetic controls (NT2DM), n = 64) participated in this study. Fasting blood glucose and vitamin D levels were determined using standard methods. Results: Lower levels of vitamin D were observed in T2DM patients compared with non-diabetic controls (p < 0.001). A greater level of vitamin D deficiency was found among T2DM patients (57.8%) compared with the controls (29.7%). Participants with vitamin D deficiency were at greater risk of T2DM compared with those with sufficient vitamin D (OR = 3.24; 95% CI = 1.56–6.73; p = 0.002). An increase in serum vitamin D level was positively associated with age and negatively associated with the level of adiposity. No correlation was found between vitamin D levels and the sex of the participants. A greater percentage of patients with vitamin D deficiency was observed in women compared to men, adults of age above 40 years compared to younger adults, and obese people compared to non-obese people. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that vitamin D screening and supplementation should be included in the management plan for all T2DM patients.