Correlative Analysis of Vitamin D Status in People Suffering from Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in Eastern Region of Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency exists as a common problem among population worldwide. The deficient vitamin D level leads to direct impact on various normal functioning of human body systems. It has been observed in few studies that decreased circulating concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is associated with type-2 diabetes mellitus. The possible reason behind such occurrence is due to the direct effect of vitamin D on glucose metabolism. Vitamin D exerts influences on activity of pancreatic β-cell function from where insulin is secreted. In addition, the patients suffering from low vitamin D status show insulin resistance. These affected individuals with low vitamin D status exhibits impaired markers of glucose metabolism such as glycosylated hemoglobin. So, researchers have found vitamin D deficiency to correlate with type-2 diabetes and 80 % of obese adults suffering from vitamin D insufficiency state. In spite of such crucial significance, the correlative studies related to vitamin D status and type-2 diabetes still remains obscure in eastern region of Nepal.

Objective: We aimed to investigate status of vitamin D among type-2 diabetics and analyze its possible correlation.

Methodology: In the present study which was hospital-based and cross sectional one, antecubital venous blood samples were collected from patients (n=100) in plain vials with informed written consent. Blood samples were allowed to clot and centrifuged for separation of serum. The separated sera were further processed for determination of glucose (fasting as well as post-prandial) by spectrophotometry and estimation of vitamin D with use of microwell Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) technique. The data was interpreted by using SPSS software version 16.

Results: We found that 75 % type-2 diabetics had suffered from “state of vitamin D deficiency”. Among them, females, in contrast, were predominating which was interesting in an analytical point of view.

Conclusion: Our study reviews evidence on disorders related to type-2 diabetes mellitus and vitamin D status, especially in older people. The biological processes that lead to synthesis of vitamin D in human body tissues become less efficient when an individual's age advances with in additional occurrences of type-2 diabetes mellitus. We should therefore maintain the repletion of vitamin D in healthy older people via supplementary intakes and sensible sun-exposure.