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Vitamin D deficiency tied to increased blood sugar and insulin need among ICU patients
![Vitamin D deficiency tied to increased blood sugar and insulin need among ICU patients Vitamin D deficiency tied to increased blood sugar and insulin need among ICU patients](https://medicaldialogues.in/h-upload/2023/01/30/750x450_199893-patient-in-icu-2.webp)
Iran: A recent study published in the European Journal of Translational Myology has shown that decreased vitamin D is linked with increased blood sugar and insulin requirements in ICU patients. Women are shown to be at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.
In patients admitted to the ICU (intensive care unit), hyperglycemia is common and is linked with harmful effects such as increased ICU stay, infection risk, and death and complications. IV (intravenous) insulin infusion is the preferred method of controlling blood sugar in such patients.
In Iranians, there is a high vitamin D deficiency related to hyperglycemia. Mohammad Niakan Lahiji from Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran, and colleagues, therefore, aimed to assess the association between vitamin D levels and the required insulin dose prescribed based on an insulin therapy protocol in critical condition patients admitted to the intensive care unit in an investigation based in Iran in a cross-sectional study.
The study included patients who required insulin due to hyperglycemia. The team from Iran investigated the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and the needed insulin dose prescribed based on insulin therapy protocol in this patient population.
The authors reported the following findings:
- A total of 172 patients with a mean age of 46.93 ± 31.9 years were included in the study. Across the included participants, 78.8% of patients had vitamin D deficiency, 11.9% had insufficient vitamin D, and 9.3% had normal vitamin D levels.
- There was a significant difference in mean blood sugar between the vitamin D deficiency and standard groups.
- Vitamin D levels were also significantly higher in men than women.
- The HbA1C hemoglobin level in patients with Vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher compared to the group with normal vitamin D levels.
The study showed an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and the patient's blood sugar levels. Increasing vitamin D levels reduced blood sugar levels and decreased patients' insulin requirements, implying reduced insulin resistance.
"Our findings indicated that low vitamin D levels are associated with increased blood sugar and insulin requirements in patients admitted to ICU. Women are at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency," the researchers wrote.
"We hope that these findings may help inform relevant treatment strategies," they conclude.
Reference:
Niakan Lahiji, M., Moghaddam, O. M., Ameri, F., Pournajafian, A., & Mirhosseini, F. (2023). Relationship of Vitamin D level with insulin dosage required based on insulin therapy protocol. European Journal of Translational Myology. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2023.11017
MSc. Biotechnology
Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogues as an Editor in 2018 for Speciality Medical Dialogues. She covers several medical specialties including Cardiac Sciences, Dentistry, Diabetes and Endo, Diagnostics, ENT, Gastroenterology, Neurosciences, and Radiology. She has completed her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences from DU and then pursued Masters in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a working experience of 5 years in the field of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing, and content management. She can be contacted at  editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751