Diabetes: UAE doctors to advise prediabetic patients to take Vitamin D after study

Doctors across the UAE are planning to advise patients with a high risk of developing diabetes to take vitamin D supplements, following a study that said it reduced the risk of people in a prediabetic state contracting the disease.

“This study will have an impact on my clinical practice,” Dr Bashar Sahar, an endocrinologist at the Saudi German Hospital in Dubai told Al Arabiya English.

“I will now consider giving a higher dose of daily vitamin D to patients with prediabetes.”

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The study released earlier this week by the Annals of Internal Medicine revealed that the vitamin can reduce the risk of people with prediabetes from developing the disease by 15 percent.

Prediabetes relates to people with elevated blood sugar levels who are at a high risk of contracting diabetes.

Ashwin Pankajakshan, endocrinologist at NMC Royal Hospital Dubai, told Al Arabiya English the study shows that doctors must “give importance to Vitamin D levels” in treating patients at risk of diabetes.

“With this data we are going to ask patients with prediabetes to have their blood levels checked so we can keep their vitamin D at the optimal level,” he said.

Dr Naji Jameel Aljohani, consultant endocrinologist at King Fahad Medical City in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh told Al Arabiya English the advice is important “even for children” and can “improve insulin resistance,” something that is vital to prevent diabetes.

He also noted that the best time for people to absorb the vitamin naturally is to go out in the sunshine between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Pankajakshan also highlighted the need to properly consult a doctor, so people make sure they are taking the correct vitamin D dosage.

“Vitamin D is safe when it is taken in the appropriate way but if someone overdoses, it can lead to problems,” Pankajakshan said.

The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in the bloodstream which can lead to nausea and vomiting and in the long-term could lead to kidney problems.

Diet and healthy lifestyle are equally important Doctors also told Al Arabiya English that while vitamin D will play a role in reducing the risk of diabetes for people at high-risk of the disease, other medicines and lifestyle choices are equally necessary.

Sahar said Metformin also used to control insulin levels for people at risk of, or with diabetes is “still better.” “Higher vitamin D intake is not [the same as] medicine,” he said.

“Vitamin D helps in preventing diabetes, but we have to make sure we’re following a healthy lifestyle [and] eating the right foods,” Hanan Ibrahim Khatib, clinical dietitian, and nutritionist at Alshareq hospital Fujairah told Al Arabiya English.

Khatib said the recommendations she normally gives to patients to get enough vitamin D is taking it through natural sources including sunlight, cod liver oil, mushrooms and egg yolks.

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