Association between vitamin D deficiency and type 2 diabetes in an Indigenous Brazilian population.
This study investigated the association between vitamin D levels and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among Indigenous adults of the Tupiniquim and Guarani ethnicities residing on a reserve on the southeastern Brazilian coast.
This cross-sectional study, conducted between 2020 and 2022, included 946 Indigenous individuals (aged ≥20 years, both sexes) from the Tupiniquim and Guarani ethnic groups. T2DM was defined by a self-reported diabetes diagnosis, the use of glucose-lowering medications, or, in the absence of such reports, a fasting plasma glucose level ≥126 mg/dL, a 2-hour plasma glucose level ≥200 mg/dL following an oral glucose tolerance test, or a glycated hemoglobin level ≥6.5%. Hypovitaminosis D was defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level <30.0 ng/mL. Associations were estimated using multiple logistic regression models.
The mean age of the participants was 41.3 ± 14.9 years; 56.8% were women, and 90% belonged to the Tupiniquim ethnic group. After adjusting for confounders, serum 25(OH)D levels were inversely associated with T2DM. Each 1-ng/mL increase in 25(OH)D was associated with lower odds of T2DM (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.94-0.98). Individuals with hypovitaminosis D had higher odds of T2DM than those with adequate vitamin D levels (OR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.20-2.62).
Vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with the presence of T2DM. The high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D underscores the importance of screening strategies and considering supplementation protocols, even among Indigenous populations with high solar exposure.
This cross-sectional study, conducted between 2020 and 2022, included 946 Indigenous individuals (aged ≥20 years, both sexes) from the Tupiniquim and Guarani ethnic groups. T2DM was defined by a self-reported diabetes diagnosis, the use of glucose-lowering medications, or, in the absence of such reports, a fasting plasma glucose level ≥126 mg/dL, a 2-hour plasma glucose level ≥200 mg/dL following an oral glucose tolerance test, or a glycated hemoglobin level ≥6.5%. Hypovitaminosis D was defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level <30.0 ng/mL. Associations were estimated using multiple logistic regression models.
The mean age of the participants was 41.3 ± 14.9 years; 56.8% were women, and 90% belonged to the Tupiniquim ethnic group. After adjusting for confounders, serum 25(OH)D levels were inversely associated with T2DM. Each 1-ng/mL increase in 25(OH)D was associated with lower odds of T2DM (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.94-0.98). Individuals with hypovitaminosis D had higher odds of T2DM than those with adequate vitamin D levels (OR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.20-2.62).
Vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with the presence of T2DM. The high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D underscores the importance of screening strategies and considering supplementation protocols, even among Indigenous populations with high solar exposure.
Authors
Santos Santos, Alvim Alvim, Quinte Quinte, Faria Faria, Silva Silva, Mill Mill
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