Children who had not yet developed clinical type 1 diabetes but who have multiple positive autoantibodies in their blood were found to have lower vitamin D levels than children without diabetes-specific autoantibodies. Interestingly, the differences in vitamin D levels were most prevalent in the summer months. ... The team of scientists headed by Jennifer Raab, Dr. Christiane Winkler and Professor Anette-Gabriele Ziegler compared the vitamin D measurements taken from 108 children who were tested positive for islet autoantibodies with 406 children without autoantibodies. Lower vitamin D levels were also found in 244 children who had recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.abstract
"Vitamin D deficiency precedes the onset of type 1 diabetes. This may be a consequence of an immune response," Professor Ziegler says. "In the case of prediabetic children, we must therefore be mindful of the risk of vitamin D deficiency and consider recommending vitamin D supplementation at an early stage of type 1 diabetes."
Just FYI- The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency in US adults between 2005-2006 was 41.6%, with the highest rate seen in blacks (82.1%), followed by Hispanics (69.2%).
