Журнал диабетических осложнений и медицины

Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Indian Perspectives

Abstract

Shilpa Balaji Asegaonkar

Deficiency of vitamin D is emerging as one of the important nutritional risk factors for development of insulin resistance (IR) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). It is also observed to be associated with poor glycemic control and progression of complications among diabetics. In India, in spite of adequate sunlight exposure throughout year, several reports documented prevalent finding of deficiency of vitamin D. With the context of rising surge of T2DM and hypovitaminosis D among Indians, relation between vitamin D and T2DM and related studies have been reviewed in the present article. Vitamin D plays important roles in the metabolism of glucose. It directly stimulates insulin secretion from beta cells of pancreas. It increases intracellular calcium levels, which attenuates insulin synthesis. Also it improves insulin sensitivity in peripheral muscle and fats cells. T2DM is a state of chronic low-grade chronic inflammation and being anti-inflammatory in nature, vitamin D exerts beneficial effects on glycemic control and prevention of complications. Current data about vitamin D status in T2DM is based on small sporadic studies from different regions of India. Researchers have reported conflicting results about the association of hypovitaminosis D with development of T2DM and its complications. This warrants an urgent need of population based; large sample sized prospective studies to prove the role of vitamin D in every stage, from prevention to management