The Association Between Vitamin D Status and Glycemic Control in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Low vitamin D levels are common in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Although a link between vitamin D status and glycemic control is suggested, the direct association with poor control is unclear. This study assessed the prevalence of low vitamin D (deficiency and insufficiency) and its relationship with HbA1c in youth with type 1 diabetes. A cross-sectional study at Benghazi Medical Center, Libya, from June to September 2018 included 63 patients (33 females, 30 males), aged 6-18 years. Data on socio-demographics, HbA1c, and vitamin D levels were collected. Vitamin D levels were categorized as deficient (<10 ng/ml), insufficient (10-19 ng/ml), or sufficient (≥20 ng/ml). Glycemic control was classified as good (HbA1c ≤ 7.5%), fair (7.6%-8.5%), or poor (≥8.6%). Analysis using SPSS version 18 showed patients had a mean age of 12 years (±3.9), BMI of 19.18 kg/m² (±3.70), diabetes duration of 4.90 years (±3.03), average HbA1c of 10.10% (±2.5), and mean vitamin D level of 17.70 ng/ml (±10.8). Deficient vitamin D was found in 27% of patients, with 36.5% insufficient and 36.5% sufficient. A weak negative correlation (r= -0.112, p=0.38) was observed between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and HbA1c. Low vitamin D levels, including deficiency and insufficiency, were prevalent in youth with type 1 diabetes. However, vitamin D status did not significantly impact glycemic control in this study.