Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly being evaluated as a potential contributor to metabolic disorders in aging populations. A cross-sectional study published in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders assessed the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and diabetes status in older adults.

The study included 1,324 adults aged ≥60 years. Demographic characteristics, smoking habits, physical activity, anthropometric measures, and blood pressure were assessed. Fasting blood sugar and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured after overnight fasting. Ordinal logistic regression analyses adjusted for multiple potential confounders were used to evaluate associations between vitamin D levels and glycemic status.

Findings

• The mean participant age was 69.8 years, and 52.0% of participants were women.
• Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 31.14 ± 15.99 ng/mL, while 25.45% of participants were classified as vitamin D deficient.
• Diabetes was present in 29.08% of participants, and prediabetes in 22.96%.
• In the fully adjusted model, higher serum vitamin D levels were associated with lower odds of worse diabetes status (adjusted odds ratio 0.90; 95% confidence interval 0.84-0.97; P = 0.006).

Lower serum vitamin D levels were associated with worse glycemic status in older adults after adjustment for multiple confounding factors. The findings support further investigation into the role of vitamin D status in metabolic health among aging populations.