Global study estimates Vitamin D most common deficiency in diabetics, magnesium second most

Vitamin D is the most common deficiency among diabetics, affecting over 60 per cent of people with diabetes, according to a global analysis published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Nutrition Prevention and Health.

The analysis, based on 132 studies conducted between 1998 and 2023 involving more than 52,000 participants, also found that magnesium deficiency affects 42 per cent of people with diabetes, while 28 per cent suffer from iron deficiency.

Researchers, including those from the Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR), Rajasthan, said that the study helps assess the global prevalence of micronutrient deficiency—whereby levels of vitamins and minerals essential for healthy bodily function are far too low—in people with type 2 diabetes.

Women with diabetes were found to be at a higher risk of micronutrient deficits, also termed “hidden hunger,” compared to men, the team found.

The authors explained that risk factors for developing diabetes include genetic tendencies, along with environmental factors, such as a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet and obesity.

Studies have shown that micronutrients have a key role in the development of diabetes, by affecting how glucose is metabolised and insulin pathways.

However, this study was aimed to resolve conflicting evidence from previous studies that mainly focused on one specific micronutrient, the authors said.

“The pooled prevalence of multiple micronutrient deficiency (vitamins, minerals and electrolytes) was 45.30 per cent among T2D patients,” they wrote.

Further, the prevalence was found to be higher in women with the condition—at nearly 49 per cent—compared to men.

The analysis also found that vitamin B12 deficiency affects 29 per cent of diabetes patients globally and is even higher among those taking metformin, a common anti-diabetes drug.

The studies included in the analyses were hospital-based and therefore, the authors said the findings need to be interpreted with caution due to sample selection bias.

They added that no cause-and-effect links could be established and thus, it was not clear if the micronutrient deficiency preceded poor glycaemic control or was a consequence of it.