Anna Ghubatyan, Lusine Navasardyan* and Artashes Tadevosyan
Objective: Vitamin D supposed to be associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus via its effect on lipids profile. The main aim of current study is to determine the association of 25-OH vitamin D status and lipid changes in type 1 diabetic young Armenians with the diabetes duration of more than 5 years.
Materials and Methods: 48 type 1 diabetic patient with duration of diabetes >5 years, aged 20-35 years old, were investigated. Serum 25-OHvitamin D, TSH, lipid fractions and HbA1c were measured, BMI, weight, duration of diabetes were determined. Values of P<0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: 52.1% of all investigated patients showed insufficiency of vitamin D, regardless the season, and had significantly higher cholesterol and LDL in negative correlation with 25-OH vitamin D levels, compared with vitamin D sufficient group (P<0.05). HbA1c also had a positive correlation with the cholesterol, and the HDL showed negative correlation with weight (P<0.05). Interestingly all the investigated patients had 25-OH vitamin D level <25ng/ml (suboptimal sufficiency level). Vitamin D status showed no association with the season of the year and sunlight exposure (P>0.05).
Conclusion: 25-OH vitamin D correlates with poor glucose control and dyslipidemia in type 1 diabetic young patients. Moreover, absolute value of 25-OH vitamin D didn’t exceed 25ng/ml, indicating low-sufficiency of vitamin D in type 1 diabetic young patients in Armenia. Further interventional investigations are needed to reveal also the precise relationship of 25-OH vitamin D absolute levels with diabetes-related complications in type 1 young diabetics. In this context, treatment and preventive recommendations of vitamin D supplementation should follow other guidelines from those for the general population.