Vitamin D and Its Effects on Glucose Homeostasis, Cardiovascular Function and Immune Function

Abstract

In recent years there has been increasing interest in the non-skeletal effects of vitamin D. It has been suggested that vitamin D deficiency may influence the development of diabetes, cardiovascular dysfunction and autoimmune diseases. This review focuses on the current knowledge of the effects of vitamin D and its deficiency on cardiovascular function, glucose homeostasis and immune function, with a particular focus on children. Although, there is good evidence to show that there is an association between vitamin D deficiency and an abnormality of the above systems, there is little evidence to show that vitamin D supplementation leads to an improvement in function, especially in childhood.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with prediabetes in obese Swedish children

“…It has been suggested that low vitamin D may reflect a risk factor in the development of insulin resistance and the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, as it affects either insulin sensitivity or beta‐cell function . We found an inverse association between 25(OH)D and f‐glucose when adjusted for age, and this agreed with other observational and intervention studies that demonstrated associations between vitamin D and f‐glucose . In our study population, 9.1% had IFG and the prevalence was significantly higher among children with vitamin D deficiency.…”

“…This was in line with previous reports and may be explained by the difficulty in separating the effects of vitamin D and adiposity. However, there are discrepancies regarding this issue (10). Surprisingly, a difference was observed in gammaglutamyltransferase levels but not in aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase levels, when comparing vitamin D-deficient children with their nondeficient counterparts.…”

“…This was in line with previous reports and may be explained by the difficulty in separating the effects of vitamin D and adiposity. However, there are discrepancies regarding this issue .…”

“…In obese adults, low 25(OH)D levels have been shown to be associated with inflammatory and cardiometabolic risk markers . In children, it has been questioned whether there is an association between vitamin D status and cardiometabolic risk and the results of a mini‐review were inconclusive . Lower levels of 25(OH)D have been associated with risk factors for type 2 diabetes in obese children in some observational studies, but not in others .…”

Are Vitamin D Drops Containing 400 IU Daily Adequate for Preventing Vitamin D Deficiency?

“…Vitamin D also affects many organs playing an important role in maintaining general health. Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases (1). …”