Vitamin D deficiency in relation to different phenotypes of prediabetes: a population-based study

Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in the development of prediabetes. However, it is unclear whether vitamin D deficiency showed any relationship with different phenotypes of prediabetes. This study was designed to address this issue.

We included participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2016. Prediabetes is classified into the following phenotypes: an isolated defect (that is, impaired fasting glucose [IFG], impaired glucose tolerance [IGT], or impaired hemoglobin A1c[IA1c]), two defects (that is, IFG+IGT, IFG+IA1c, or IGT+IA1c), or three defects (that is, IFG+IGT+IA1c). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

A total of 4126 participants (2332 with prediabetes and 1794 with normal glycemia) were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that prediabetes was associated with an increased odds of vitamin D deficiency than normal glycemia (OR 1.216, 95% CI 1.023-1.444). Further analysis showed that prediabetes phenotypes of IGT+IFG (OR 1.549, 95% CI 1.050-2.283) and IFG+IGT + IA1c (OR 1.507, 95% CI 1.062-2.138) had an increased odds of vitamin D deficiency. The odds of vitamin D deficiency was higher in individuals with glucose-defined prediabetes, but not in those with HbA1c-defined prediabetes when compared with individuals with normal glycemia.

Prediabetes was associated with an increased odds of vitamin D deficiency, and glucose-defined prediabetes might be a better predictor of vitamin D deficiency.