ABSTRACT
Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide epidemic, similarly low Vitamin D levels constitutes a largely unrecognized epidemic in many populations. There is no study in our country to document the association between these two common metabolic disorders
Objective: To assess the degree of correlation between vitamin D status and various categories of hyperglycaemia in a Pakistani population. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Place and Period of Study: Department of Pathology, PNS SHIFA Hospital, Karachi; Jan 2013 to Aug 2013. Glucose levels were measured in eight six patients divided on the basis of their 25- hydroxyvitamin D3 [25OHD] levels in three groups, normal [>31 ng/ml], insufficient [20-31ng/ml] and deficient [<20ng /ml]. 25OHD was measured by electrochemiluminescence using Roche Elecsys® Systems while glucose was estimated by routine methods on Roche Hitachi® Autoanalyser
Results: Vitamin D levels were inversely correlated with plasma glucose levels [r=0.38; p <0.01] with an Odd Ratio of 3.59 [95%confidence interval 1.29 to 8.70]. Fasting plasma glucose was significantly higher in vitamin D deficient patients as compared to patients with normal vitamin D status [p <0.05]
Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is negatively associated with plasma glucose levels