People with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for atherosclerosis. A new study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that low levels of vitamin D may contribute to this problem.
The research included 43 people with type 2 diabetes and 25 matched controls without the disorder. Diabetes patients who had inadequate levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream–less than 30 ng/ml of 25-hydroxyvitamin D–were much more likely to have immune system cells take up residence in the linings of the coronary arteries. Those macrophages then create plaque within the artery walls, limiting the flexibility of the arteries and posing a risk of heart attack.
Vitamin D levels predicted this complication more accurately than cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar control, or weight. The scientists do not know, however, whether reversing vitamin D deficiency will protect type 2 diabetics from heart disease.
[Journal of Biological Chemistry, Nov. 9, 2012]
