Niu Y, Li J, Peng R et al (2019) Low vitamin D is associated with diabetes peripheral neuropathy in older but no in young and middle-aged patients. Diabetes Metab Res Rev 35: e3162
- Over half of individuals with diabetes experience peripheral neuropathy. Recent studies have suggested that low levels of vitamin D may be associated with an increased risk of developing this complication, however their findings have been inconsistent.
- Investigators performed a cross-sectional study including almost 1,500 patients to determine whether the relationship between vitamin D level and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) was associated with patient age.
- Almost a third of participants had DPN. These individuals had lower levels of vitamin D than participants who did not have DPN.
- The proportion of participants with DPN increased with age: 12.6% of young patients (24–44 years), 33.6% of middle-aged patients (45–64 years) and 36% of older patients (³65 years).
- Following multivariate logistic regression, low vitamin D level was found to be a risk factor for DPN in older individuals but not young or middle-aged patients.
- Investigators concluded that low vitamin D level was associated with DPN in people aged over 65 years and suggested it be used as a predictor of this complication in older people with diabetes.
Vinod Patel highlights the growing evidence base that lifestyle interventions are effective, and encourages persistence even though they can be difficult.
25 May 2023