Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients presenting to a functional medicine clinic

Abstract

This study explores the relationship of 25-hydroxylvitamin D blood levels in 106 randomly selected patient files with diagnosed type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (t2DM) who enrolled in a functional medicine diabetes reversal program from a chiropractic clinic located in Annapolis, Maryland, USA. Using a conservative recommendation for normal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of 32 ng/ml, insufficiency level of 20 - 30 ng/ml, and deficiency level < 20 ng/ml, 21% (22/106) of our population were normal, 39% (41/106) were insufficient, and alarmingly, 35% (37/106) were outright deficient. Clinically, 74% (78/ 106) of our entire sample had significantly low vitamin D levels. Ou et al. (2011) determined the optimal concentration of serum 25OHD to be 40 ng/ml in order to optimize insulin sensitivity. In our sample 100/ 106 (94%) had vitamin D levels at or below this optimal cut-off level. BMI was negatively correlated with vitamin D; that is, the greater the BMI of the patient the less their vitamin D level. Both obesity and hypovitaminosis D are each mutually exclusive predictors for t2DM. Obesity and vitamin D deficiency may work synergistically to propel an individual into the diseased state of t2DM. As this study demonstrates that the majority of people with t2DM suffer from inadequate amounts of vitamin D, vitamin D testing should be routine for all people at risk for t2DM, prediabetics and those currently suffering with t2DM in order to elevate levels sufficiently to improve insulin sensitivity and improve long-term outcomes.