| A study has found that taking vitamin D supplements can reduce the risk of prediabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes by 15%. (Photo = DB) |
[메디컬투데이=최재백 기자] Taking vitamin D supplements has been shown to reduce the risk of prediabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes.
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that taking vitamin D supplements could reduce the risk of prediabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes by 15%.
Debate continues about the effect of vitamin D on the development or progression to type 2 diabetes. A 2019 study that looked at people at high risk for type 2 diabetes who consumed 4,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day found that vitamin D significantly reduced the risk of diabetes.
In addition, the results of two studies conducted in Norway and Japan, respectively, showed that taking vitamin D reduced the number of patients who progressed from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes, but it was not statistically significant.
The research team recently conducted a meta-analysis and systematic literature review to analyze the benefits and risks of vitamin D in relation to type 2 diabetes by raising the statistical results of previous studies to a significant level.
The research team comprehensively reviewed randomized controlled trials that studied the preventive effects of vitamin D supplementation on diabetes in adults with prediabetes. A total of 44 papers and 270 clinical trial results were selected, and finally 3 clinical trials were deemed suitable and analyzed. A Norwegian study involving 511 people, a Japanese study involving 1256 people, and a US study conducted in 2019 involving 2423 people were analyzed.
The participants in the different studies did not take the same vitamin D supplement due to regional differences: participants in the Norwegian and American studies took cholecalciferol and participants in the Japanese study took eldecitol.
Across the three studies, 44% of the 4190 participants were female, 51% Caucasian or European, 33% Asian, and 15% black. The average age of the participants was 61 years, the average body mass index (BMI) was 31, and the average serum level of 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D was 63 nmol/L.
At an average follow-up of 3 years, the research team reported that vitamin D reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 12% and 15%, respectively, in the unadjusted intention-to-treat analysis and the of adjusted intention to treat when individual participant data were used.
It was explained that the three studies had similar sample populations and analysis methods, leading to similar results in the comprehensive analysis. They added that according to the results of the analysis, the effect of vitamin D in reducing the risk of developing diabetes is less than the effect of other diabetes prevention measures.
It was explained that intensive lifestyle changes and metformin drug treatment reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 58% and 31%, respectively.
The research team concluded that very high-dose vitamin D treatment could prevent type 2 diabetes in some patients, but caution should be taken against the side effects of an overdose of vitamin D. Furthermore, they said, future research will determine the optimal vitamin D dose to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults with prediabetes while minimizing side effects.
Today’s Medical Correspondent Jaebaek Choi (jaebaekchoi@naver.com)
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
