Diabetics with poor quality of life have low Vitamin D levels (less than 15 ng)

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with poorer satisfaction with diabetes-related treatment and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2018 Mar 12;16(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12955-018-0873-3.

Alcubierre N1, Castelblanco E2,3, Martínez-Alonso M4, Granado-Casas M2,5, Esquerda A6, Traveset A5,7, Martinez-Gonzalez D5, Franch-Nadal J3,8,9, Mauricio D10,11,12.

BACKGROUND:

In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the possible association of vitamin D deficiency with self-reported treatment satisfaction and health-related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS:

We performed a sub-analysis of a previous study and included a total of 292 type 2 diabetic patients. We evaluated treatment satisfaction and health-related quality of life through specific tools: the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25 (OH) D serum levels < 15 ng/mL.

RESULTS:

Multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate the relationship of vitamin D deficiency with both outcomes once adjusted for self-reported patient characteristics.

Vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with the final score of the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire and the single "diabetes-specific quality of life" dimension of the Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (p = 0.0198 and p = 0.0070, respectively). However, lower concentrations of 25-OH vitamin D were not associated with the overall quality of life score or the perceived frequency of hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our study shows the association between vitamin D deficiency and both the self-reported diabetes treatment satisfaction and the diabetes-specific quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes.

PMID: 29530048 DOI: 10.1186/s12955-018-0873-3