The Association between Vitamin D Status and Diabetic Complications in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Diabetes can affect many different organs in the body and may lead to serious complications. Many studies related vitamin D deficiency to the occurrence Type 2 diabetes complications. However, the link between diabetic complications and vitamin D deficiency is under debate. Therefore this study aimed to evaluate the clinical relevance of vitamin D levels on diabetic complications. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 252 patients followed at King Fahd Specialist Hospital in Buraydah and King Saud Hospital in Unaizah, Saudi Arabia. The participants were divided into five groups: Non-diabetic group, diabetic without complications, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy. 78.3% of diabetic neuropathy showed vitamin D deficiency compared to diabetic nephropathy (75%), retinopathy (56.9%), and diabetics without complications (31.4%). Vitamin D deficiency was higher in diabetic patients with complications (69.8%) compared to those without complications (31.4%). Moreover 39.2% of diabetics without complications showed normal vitamin D level compared with 13.4% of diabetics with complications. The results showed that vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with diabetic complications.