Ethnicity affects impact of vitamin D on diabetes
Key points
- As blood levels of vitamin D increase, the risk of diabetes decreases in non-Hispanic whites and Mexican Americans - but not in blacks - researchers have found.
- The findings may "offer an explanation, in part, for the generally lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes observed in Caucasian populations around the world compared with other ethnicities," Dr.
- The results are based on a study of 6228 subjects, representative of the US population, who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
- Whites with the highest vitamin D levels had only one quarter the risk of having diabetes compared to those with the lowest levels.
As blood levels of vitamin D increase, the risk of diabetes decreases in non-Hispanic whites and Mexican Americans - but not in blacks - researchers have found.
The findings may "offer an explanation, in part, for the generally lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes observed in Caucasian populations around the world compared with other ethnicities," Dr. Robert Scragg, from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and colleagues suggest in the medical journal Diabetes Care.
The results are based on a study of 6228 subjects, representative of the US population, who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Whites with the highest vitamin D levels had only one quarter the risk of having diabetes compared to those with the lowest levels. For Mexican Americans, the comparative risk dropped even further.
The reason why this pattern was not seen in blacks is unclear, but the researchers believe it may "reflect decreased sensitivity to vitamin D and/or related hormones" in this group.
The team calls for further research to confirm the findings and to pinpoint underlying mechanisms, but notes that simple and cheap ways to increase vitamin D levels are readily available.
SOURCE: Diabetes Care, December 2004.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Diabetes & Hormones →
NewsExtra Vitamin D in Early Childhood Cuts Adult Diabetes Risk
Vitamin D supplements in early childhood may ward off the development of type 1 diabetes in later life, reveals a research review published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Type 1 diabetes is an…
14 March 2008
NewsRace Affects Medication Adherence in Type 2 Diabetes
African Americans may be less likely than whites to take their medication for Type 2 diabetes as it is prescribed, a new study suggests. The researchers found that adherence rates were as much as 12 percent lower among…
4 August 2006
NewsVitamin D and calcium may lower diabetes risk
Women with high intakes of vitamin D and calcium appear to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to Boston-based researchers. Dr. Anastassios G. Pittas, of Tufts-New England Medical Center and…
