One of the major complications of diabetes is vascular disease, which can affect both large and small blood vessels. These complications include heart attack, stroke, retinopathy (eye disease), nephropathy (kidney disease), neuropathy (numbness and tingling in the extremities), and, in severe cases, amputation.
Research published in Diabetes Care (March 2015; Volume 38, Issue 3, Pages 521–528) examined the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and vascular complications in individuals with type 2 diabetes. This observational study included 9,795 participants between the ages of 50 and 75, all diagnosed with type 2 diabetes according to World Health Organization criteria. None of the participants were taking lipid-modifying medications at the start of the study.
Approximately 50% of participants were found to have low vitamin D status, defined as serum levels of 49 nmol/L or lower. Individuals with low vitamin D levels experienced a higher incidence of both macrovascular and microvascular complications compared with those whose vitamin D levels were 50 nmol/L or higher.
The authors concluded that low serum vitamin D levels were associated with an increased risk of vascular complications in people with type 2 diabetes.
