effect of vitamin d supplementation on glycemic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases with high prevalence, mortality and morbidity characterized by prolonged high blood glucose concentrations resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. this study aimed to assess the role of vitamin d supplementation in glycemic control in uncontrolled type 1 diabetes with vitamin d deficiency. it is a prospective study between 1st of october 2022 to 31st of july 2023, where ninety patients (male: female ratio 1:1) with uncontrolled type 1 diabetes and vitamin d deficiency attended the specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes in baghdad government-iraq, their ages between 5-18 years were followed for 10months to assess their hemoglobin a1c (hba1c) and serum calcium after correction of vitamin d level with therapeutic doses of vitamin d. the findings of the study had shown that 41.1% of the patients had vitamin d insufficiency and 58.9% with deficiency regardless sex and age. all the obese children and 66.4% of the overweight had vitamin d deficiency with significant correlation with bmi (p<0.001). the severity of vitamin d was also related to duration of disease diagnoses (p<0.001). good glycemic control occurs in patients with vitamin d levels>50ng/ml (p<0.01). in 14.5% of the patients after 6 months, their vitamin d levels again became deficient, so re-check was needed after 6 months from the end of the loading therapy. vitamin d deficiency among the patients of diabetes mellitus type 1 was high and was closely related to glycemic control. the level of vitamin d was negatively related to the body weight and the duration of the disease. additionally, the findings of the study have demonstrated therapeutic dose of vitamin d has the potential to manage glucose levels.