The Effect of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Markers of Glycaemia, Lipidaemia and Oxidative Stress in Saudi Men with Poorly-Controlled Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus

The pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) has been associated with vitamin D deficiency which plays a role in impaired insulin action in humans. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on biomarkers of glycaemia, lipidaemia and oxidative stress in Saudi men aged >18 years with poorly controlled T2DM. A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel trial was used to investigate 128 Saudi men with poorly-controlled T2DM randomised to receive: 1) a placebo supplement, 2) 50μg/day vitamin D3 or 3) 100μg/day vitamin D3 as capsules matched in shape and size over a 16-week period. Fasting glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin, lipid profile, serum 25(OH)D, and total antioxidant status were measured, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in skin were also measured using an AGE-reader. Vitamin D supplementation of either 100μg or 50μg per day were found to give a significant improvement in the HbA1c (p