Controversial Impact of Vitamin D Supplementation on Reducing Insulin Resistance and Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Patients with Prediabetes: A Systematic Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation prevents the conversion of prediabetes to diabetes and to suggest recommendations for future trial designs.
Results Summary
Seven out of eight trials found no reduction in insulin resistance or risk of type 2 diabetes with vitamin D supplementation; only one trial showed improvements in fasting glucose and HOMA-IR.
Population
Individuals with prediabetes
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vitamin D supplementation | no change | insulin resistance | prediabetes | - | does not reduce | #1 |
vitamin D supplementation | no change | risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 development | prediabetes | - | does not reduce | #2 |
vitamin D supplementation | increase | fasting glucose | - | - | showed improvements | #3 |
vitamin D supplementation | increase | HOMA-IR | - | - | showed improvements | #4 |
BACKGROUND: Prediabetes has become a worldwide health problem. Multiple clinical trials have been conducted to determine the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation in preventing the conversion to diabetes, but the results are inconsistent. The aims of this study were to evaluate the current knowledge and to suggest recommendations for researchers on designing future trials regarding that matter. METHODS: Four databases were searched for randomized control trials from the last 10 years about vitamin D and insulin resistance. The systematic electronic literature search identified 2645 studies, of which thirty-eight qualified for full-text reading and discussion. Finally, eight trials were included. RESULTS: Final results of seven trials reported that supplementation of vitamin D does not reduce insulin resistance nor reduces the risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 development in prediabetes. Only one trial showed improvements in fasting glucose and HOMA-IR. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the great variation and biases in study designs, an unambiguous interpretation of the results is not possible. To eliminate those vulnerabilities in the future, we made certain suggestions for study design. Long-term and well-designed studies are still required.