Effects of vitamin D on insulin resistance and fasting blood glucose in pregnant women with insufficient or deficient vitamin D: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

• Published in: BMC endocrine disorders Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 254 - 10
• Main Authors: Mirzaei-Azandaryani, Zahra, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi, Sakineh, Shaseb, Elnaz, Abbasalizadeh, Shamsi, Mirghafourvand, Mojgan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 20-10-2022; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Abortion; Alfacalcidol; Analysis; Ankle; Blood glucose; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Blood sugar; Calcifediol; Clinical trials; Depression; Depression, Mental; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes, Gestational; Dietary supplements; Fasting; Fasting blood glucose; Female; Gestational diabetes mellitus; HOMA-IR; Humans; Insulin; Insulin - therapeutic use; Insulin Resistance; Iran - epidemiology; Laboratory testing; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Mental depression; Metabolic disorders; Musculoskeletal Pain - drug therapy; Pain; Placebos; Pregnancy; Pregnancy complications; Pregnant Women; Sociodemographics; Statistical analysis; Tablets; Vitamin D; Vitamin deficiency; Vitamins - therapeutic use; Womens health; Iran; United States > US; Pregnancy; Gestational diabetes mellitus; HOMA-IR; Depression; Fasting blood glucose; Vitamin D
• ISSN: 1472-6823; 1472-6823
• DOI: 10.1186/s12902-022-01159-4

Gestational diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders during pregnancy. Some studies have reported the effect of vitamin D deficiency on the incidence of this disorder. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, fasting blood insulin (FBI) levels and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) (primary outcomes) and symptoms of depression, musculoskeletal pain, frequency of gestational diabetes and the frequency of abortion (secondary outcomes).
In this triple-blind randomized controlled trial, 88 pregnant women at 8-10 weeks of pregnancy who had the vitamin D of less than 30 ng/ml were randomly assigned to the vitamin D group (n = 44) and control group (n = 44) using block randomization. The vitamin D group received 4,000 units of vitamin D tablets daily and the control group received placebo tablets for 18 weeks. Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U and ANCOVA tests were used to analyze the data.
After the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of FBG (P = 0.850), FBI (P = 0.353), HOMA-IR (P = 0.632), mean score of depressive symptoms (P = 0.505), frequency of gestational diabetes (P = 0.187) and frequency of abortion (P = 1.000) and there was only a difference in terms of serum vitamin D level (P = 0.016) and musculoskeletal pain including knee pain (P = 0.025), ankle pain (P < 0.001) and leg pain (P < 0.001).
Vitamin D could improve the musculoskeletal pain in pregnant women but couldn't decrease FBG, FBI, HOMA-IR, depression symptoms score, incidence of GDM and abortion.
Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20120718010324N59. Date of registration: 4/11/2020. URL: https://en.irct.ir/user/trial/50973/view ; Date of first registration: 21/11/2020.