The effect of vitamin D replacement therapy on insulin resistance: a retrospective study

Authors : Bahar Arıcan Tarım, Tuğçe Uskur
Pages : 647-651
Doi:10.38053/acmj.1739961
View : 53 | Download : 65
Publication Date : 2025-09-15
Article Type : Research Paper
Abstract :Aims: This study retrospectively evaluated the effect of a 3-month vitamin D replacement therapy in patients diagnosed with insulin resistance (IR) and low vitamin D levels. The relationship between changes in vitamin D levels and IR was investigated. Methods: A total of 98 patients with low serum vitamin D levels and HOMA-IR >2.5, who were admitted to the internal medicine outpatient clinic between January 1 and December 31, 2023, were included in this retrospective study. Sociodemographic characteristics and pre-and post-treatment biochemical parameters were obtained from medical records. Post-supplementation levels of vitamin D, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR were analyzed. Pre-and post-treatment values were compared using paired t-tests. The relationship between changes in vitamin D levels and HOMA-IR scores was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. Results: Of the 98 patients, 85.7% were female and 14.3% were male, with a mean age of 39.09±11.45 years. A significant reduction in HOMA-IR score was observed after vitamin D supplementation (pre: 4.54±2.05; post: 3.01±1.28; p<0.0001). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the increase in vitamin D levels and the decrease in HOMA-IR scores (r=–0.298, p=0.0029). In addition, glucose and insulin levels significantly decreased after treatment, while no significant changes were observed in lipid profile or vitamin B12 levels. Conclusion: The findings suggest that vitamin D replacement therapy may have a beneficial effect on IR. Vitamin D supplementation could be considered as a supportive approach in the management of IR, especially in individuals with vitamin D deficiency. The more pronounced improvement observed in female patients indicates the potential importance of considering sex-specific differences in future clinical assessments, but this should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited number of male participants.
Keywords : D vitamini, İnsülin direnci, HOMA-IR, Diyabet

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