DELAYED DEVELOPMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES IN ADULTS WITH PREDIABETES LINKED WITH VITAMIN D INTAKE

Higher vitamin D intake is linked to a 15% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes, according to results from a review of clinical trials. The review appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Prediabetes is a condition of having a higher-than-normal blood sugar level that is not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. In patients having prediabetes, long-term diabetes damage, particularly to the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys, may already be starting. However, progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes isn't inevitable.

Vitamin D has many functions in the body, including a role in insulin secretion and glucose metabolism. Observational studies have found an association between having a low vitamin D level in the blood and a high risk of developing diabetes.

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, inexpensive vitamin D supplementation could delay the development of diabetes in more than 10 million people.

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