Vitamin D plays minimal role in prevention of gestational diabetes

Published On 2019-05-23 13:45 GMT   |   Update On 2019-05-23 13:45 GMT

DELHI: Refuting the claims of previous studies that vitamin D supplementation is beneficial for the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a new study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition has found a minimal impact of vitamin D on GDM at 35-37 weeks.


Vitamin D deficiency is thought to increase the risk of GDM, Rosa Corcoy, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues conducted this DALI vitamin D multicenter study to test vitamin D supplementation as a strategy to reduce GDM risk (evaluated after fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin resistance and weight gain) in pregnant overweight/obese women.




Gestational diabetes mellitus is a condition in which a woman develops high blood sugar levels due to impaired glucose metabolism during pregnancy. GDM predisposes the fetus to various adverse effects. Moreover, GDM increases the mother’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.


The present study enrolled women with prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) ≥ 29 kg/m2, ≤19 + 6 weeks of gestation and without GDM. They were randomized to receive 1600 IU/day vitamin D3 or placebo (each with or without lifestyle intervention) on top of (multi)vitamins supplements. The women were then assessed for vitamin D status (sufficiency defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) ≥ 50 nmol/l), FPG, insulin resistance and weight at baseline, 24–28 and 35–37 weeks. Linear or logistic regression analyses were performed to assess intervention effects.


Also Read: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy increases risk of gestational diabetes






They found that:

  • Average baseline serum 25(OH)D was ≥50 nmol/l across all study sites.

  • In the vitamin D intervention arm (n = 79), 97% of participants achieved target serum vitamin 25(OH)D (≥50 nmol/l) at 24–28 weeks and 98% at 35–37 weeks vs 74% and 78% respectively in the placebo arm (n = 75).

  • A small but significantly lower FPG (−0.14 mmol/l; CI95 −0.28, −0.00) was observed at 35–37 weeks with the vitamin D intervention without any additional difference in metabolic status, perinatal outcomes or adverse event rates.


Also Read: Vitamin D and probiotics improve metabolic status in gestational diabetes



"In the DALI vitamin D trial, supplementation with 1600 IU vitamin D3/day achieved vitamin D sufficiency in virtually all pregnant women and a small effect in FPG at 35–37 weeks. The potential of vitamin D supplementation for GDM prevention in vitamin D sufficient populations appears to be limited," concluded the authors.




For complete study log on to https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2019.04.006


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Article Source : With inputs from Clinical Nutrition

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