Vitamin D intake could delay development of type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes: Study

Researchers from Tufts Medical Center conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of three clinical trials comparing vitamin D supplement impacts on diabetes risk.

The authors found that over a three-year follow-up period, new-onset diabetes occurred in 22.7 percent of adults who received vitamin D and 25 percent of those who received a placebo, which is a 15 percent relative reduction in risk. According to the authors, extrapolating their findings to the more than 374 million adults worldwide who have prediabetes suggests that inexpensive vitamin D supplementation could delay the development of diabetes in more than 10 million people.

In an accompanying editorial, University College Dublin and Food Safety Authority of Ireland authors highlight that previous data have demonstrated significant adverse effects of high vitamin D intake. They argue that professional societies promoting vitamin D therapy must warn physicians about required vitamin D intake and safe limits. They advise that this very-high-dose vitamin D therapy might prevent type 2 diabetes in some patients but may also cause harm.

Reference:

Anastassios G. Pittas, Tetsuya Kawahara, Rolf Jorde, Bess Dawson-Hughes, Ellen M. Vickery, Edith Angellotti, Jason Nelson, Thomas A. Trikalinos,and Ethan M. Balk, https://doi.org/10.7326/M22-3018