Vitamin D Status in Egyptian Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Vitamin D is an important factor for bone health especially in type 1 DM (T1DM). Thus, optimal supply of vitamin D may be of particular importance for bone health in children and adolescents with T1DM. Objective: To assess the vitamin D status in children and adolescents with T1DM and to study related factors that may influence serum vitamin D level. Methods: Sixty (30 prepubertal, 30 pubertal) Egyptian children and adolescents with T1DM were enrolled in this cross-sectional study, the mean age for the prepubertal group was 6.85 ± 1.64 years and for the pubertal group was 14.43 ± 1.524 years. Detailed history and complete physical examination laying stress on the sun exposure, skin color, exercise and detailed dietetic history. Dietary content of calcium (mg/day) and vitamin D (IU/day) were calculated. Laboratory assessment included serum calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25OHD) and parathormone (PTH). Results: Most of the study group (91.67 %) was vitamin D deficient. There was no significant correlation between serum vitamin D and serum calcium, phosphorus, parathormone, anthropometric measures, duration of diabetes, mean HbA1c, insulin dose, and sun exposure. Despite the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, there was a low prevalence of secondary hyperparathyroidism (11.67%) in the study group. Conclusion: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in diabetic children and adolescents is very high but underestimated. Therefore, screening and supplementation of vitamin D should be considered.