Vitamin D deficiency linked to arterial stiffness in diabetic patients

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and arterial stiffness (AS) exhibit lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and higher rate of vitamin D deficiency, a study has shown. In addition, a negative association exists between 25(OH)D and AS assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

A total of 1,335 diabetic patients from the Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, were identified. Of these, 603 were included in the analysis. Participants were then divided into AS (baPWV ≥15,500 cm/s) and control groups (baPWV <1,550 cm/s).

Patients in the AS group had higher heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and lower body weight and body mass index (BMI) than those in the control group (p<0.05 for all). Patients with AS also had lower 25(OH)D (42±16 vs 45±17 mol/l; p<0.05) and higher rate of 25(OH)D deficiency (68 percent vs 64 percent; p<0.05) than those without AS.

Moreover, baPWV correlated negatively with 25(OH)D (r, –0.12; p=0.004), body weight (p<0.05), and BMI (p<0.05) and positively with age, duration of diabetes, HR, SBP, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05 for all).

In multiple linear regression, 25(OH)D negatively influenced baPWV (β, –2.2; p=0.01). In logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR], 1.07, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.10; p<0.001) and SBP (OR, 1.03, 95 percent CI, 1.02–1.04; p<0.001) were significantly associated with the risk of AS, while 25(OH)D was protective against AS (OR, 0.987, 95 percent CI, 0.976–0.998; p=0.024).

“AS, one of the complications of diabetes, is associated with many metabolic factors,” the authors said.