VITAMIN D3 LEVELS IN DIABETES MELLITUS AND ITS CORRELATION WITH HbA1C LEVELS.

Background- Vitamin D3 is known for its calcium absorption and bone metabolism; but now been recognized as an accessible predictor, risk factor and biomarker of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aim- The aim of the study is to determine serum vitamin D3 levels in T2DM patients and ascertain its correlation with HbA1c. Setting and design- This is a cross-sectional study through screening of patients with T2DM attending the OPD/ indoor of SGRDIMSR, Amritsar. Material and method- With prior informed consent, 100 diabetic patients were examined for complications of diabetes and investigated for HbA1c, serum calcium and vitamin D3 levels in addition to routine investigations. Vitamin D3 levels were determined and relation with HbA1c levels was established. Results- Among the 100 T2DMpatients, 46% had deficiency, 22% had insufficiency and 32% had sufficiency of vitamin D3. The mean HbA1c value was 7.74 ? 1.63% in vitamin D sufficiency, 9.83 ? 2.02% in insufficiency, and 9.91 ? 2.5% in deficiency making the correlation highly significant (p <0.0001). The fasting plasma glucose levels were significantly higher in deficient group (156.76 mg/dl) as compared to insufficient (147.91mg/dl) and sufficient group (138.28mg/dl). The above observations suggest a highly significant correlation between the two (p <0.0001). There was established a highly significant inverse correlation between vitamin D3 and HbA1c and FPG levels. Conclusion- Vitamin D3 is a potential risk factor for diabetes mellitus and has a role to play in its pathogenesis. Not only a patient should be screened for serum vitamin D3 levels as a possible risk factor but also as a potential beneficial role of serum vitamin D3 supplementation in improving glycemic status in patients with diabetes mellitus.