PURPOSE

The aims of this study were to determine the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in male and female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The participants were adults diagnosed with T2DM recruited from Hebei General Hospital. Patient information and information regarding blood indicators were collected. The subjects were divided into no vitamin D deficiency group [25(OH) D >20 ng/mL] and vitamin D deficiency group [25(OH) D <20 ng/mL], and these groups were then further subdivided into male-only or female-only subgroups. And then, the subjects were divided into male group and female group in different 25(OH) D levels.

RESULTS

HbA1c levels in the vitamin D deficiency group were significantly higher than those in the no vitamin D deficiency group for all subjects. The same was true for female patients but not for male patients. There was no difference in HbA1c levels between male and female patients with T2DM, regardless of 25(OH) D deficiency. A negative correlation existed between 25(OH) D and HbA1c in all subjects, as well as in the male-only and female-only subgroups. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with high HbA1c levels before and after adjusting for confounding factors in all participants and in the female-only subgroup, but not in the male-only subgroup.

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed that vitamin D deficiency was related with high HbA1c levels in patients with T2DM, and this relationship differs between female and male patients.