Effects of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic syndrome parameters in patients with obesity or diabetes in Brazil, Europe, and the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine the effects of vitamin D supplementation on metabolic parameters in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes.
Results Summary
Vitamin D supplementation had no significant effect on most metabolic parameters, though subgroup analyses showed modest reductions in fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (at ≤2000 IU/day), and diastolic blood pressure (in vitamin D-deficient participants). The overall evidence quality was low to moderate.
Population
Patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes.
Effective Dosage
Up to 2000 IU daily (subgroup analysis).
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vitamin D supplementation | no change | fasting blood glucose and insulinemia, glycated hemoglobin, HOMA index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL, and triglycerides | patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes | no significant change | had no effect | #1 |
vitamin D up to 2000 IU daily | decrease | fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin | participants | - | reduced | #2 |
vitamin D supplementation | decrease | diastolic blood pressure | participants with vitamin D deficiency | - | reduced | #3 |
Plasma 25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels appear reduced in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes, as reported in several observational studies. However, the association between these reduced hormone levels and metabolic parameters is unclear. In any case, vitamin D supplementation in patients with Metabolic Syndrome is standard. Still, the impacts of this supplementation on conditions such as glycemia, blood pressure, and lipidemia are debatable. Based on this question, we carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials in Brazil, Europe, and the United States that analyzed the effects of vitamin D supplementation on Metabolic Syndrome parameters in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes. Our search yielded 519 articles and included 12 randomized controlled trials in the meta-analysis. Vitamin D supplementation had no effect on any of the outcomes analyzed (fasting blood glucose and insulinemia, glycated hemoglobin, HOMA index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL, and triglycerides). However, subgroup analyses indicated that using vitamin D up to 2000 IU daily reduced participants' fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. Furthermore, the intervention reduced diastolic blood pressure only in participants with vitamin D deficiency. At least two studies showed a high risk of bias using the Rob2 protocol. According to the GRADE protocol, the evidence quality varied from moderate to very low. These results indicate that vitamin D supplementation does not improve patients' metabolic parameters and that the association between plasma 25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels and Metabolic Syndrome may not be causal but caused by other confounding characteristics. However, in any case, the quality of evidence is still low, and more randomized clinical trials are essential to clarify these relationships.