Study suggests link between Vitamin D and insulin resistance in children

New research sheds light on the potential association between vitamin D levels and insulin resistance in children, particularly among ethnic minority populations. The study, a cross-sectional analysis involving 4650 primary school children aged 9–10 years in the UK, predominantly from South Asian, black African Caribbean, and white European backgrounds, examined the relationship between circulating vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) concentrations and markers of insulin resistance.

This study was published in the Journal Of Epidemiology & Community Health by Angela Donin and colleagues. The study revealed that lower levels of circulating vitamin D were observed, particularly among girls and children from South Asian and black African Caribbean ethnicities. After adjusting for age, sex, month, ethnic group, and school, researchers noted an inverse relationship between circulating vitamin D levels and markers of insulin resistance:

Association with Insulin Resistance: For every increase in 1 nmol/L of 25(OH)D, there was a corresponding decrease in fasting insulin levels by 0.38%, HOMA insulin resistance by 0.39%, and fasting glucose by 0.03%.

Ethnic Disparities: Differences in fasting insulin and insulin resistance, which were notably higher in South Asian and black African Caribbean children, were reduced by over 40% after accounting for circulating 25(OH)D concentrations.

The findings underscore the potential impact of vitamin D levels on insulin resistance in children across different ethnicities. Importantly, the study suggests that lower vitamin D concentrations among South Asian and black African Caribbean children could contribute to their higher levels of insulin resistance.

The study's authors highlight the need for further investigation into whether vitamin D supplementation could mitigate the emerging risk of type 2 diabetes, especially in children with lower circulating vitamin D levels.

Reference: Donin, A., Nightingale, C. M., Sattar, N., Fraser, W. D., Owen, C. G., Cook, D. G., & Whincup, P. H. Cross-sectional study of the associations between circulating vitamin D concentrations and insulin resistance in children aged 9–10 years of South Asian, black African Caribbean and white European origins. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, jech-2023-220626,2023. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2023-220626