Diabetic Retinopathy associated with low Vitamin D - many studies

93 million people with diabetic retinopathy (DR) (6.8% of global population)
17 million with proliferative DR,
21 million with diabetic macular oedema,
28 million with vision-threatening DR.

  • Meta-Analysis for Eye disease (META-EYE) study group. Global prevalence and major risk factors of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetes Care. 2012;35:556–564

Sight threatening diabetic retinopathy 1.8 X more likely if vitamin D <20 ng - meta-analysis May 2022

Associations between vitamin D status and sight threatening and non-sight threatening diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders (2022) https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-022-01059-3
Mike Trott, Robin Driscoll, Enrico Iraldo & Shahina Pardhan

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Background
Vitamin D levels have been shown to be associated with diabetic retinopathy, however to date, no review has examined the relationship between vitamin D and sight threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) and non-sight threatening diabetic retinopathy (NSTDR). The aim of this review, therefore, was to pool associations between vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL) and STDR/NSTDR. A further aim was to examine associations between circulating 25(OH)D levels and STDR/NSTDR.

Methods
A systematic review of major databases was undertaken for studies published from inception to 22/04/2022, using a pre-published protocol. Studies reporting prevalence of STDR or NSTDR versus a control group with diabetes and no DR or DME and either (a) vitamin D deficiency prevalence, or (b) circulating 25(OH)D levels, were included. A random effects meta-analysis was undertaken.

Results
Following screening, 12 studies (n = 9057) were included in the meta-analysis. STDR was significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency (OR = 1.80 95%CI 1.40–2.30; p = <0.001), whereas NSTDR was not (OR = 1.07 95%CI 0.90–1.27; p = 0.48). Both conclusions were graded as low credibility of evidence. Furthermore, circulating 25(OH)D levels were significantly associated with both NSTDR (SMD = -0.27 95%CI -0.50; −0.04; p = 0.02) and STDR (SMD = −0.49 95%CI -0.90; −0.07; p = 0.02), although these were graded as low credibility of evidence.

Conclusion
Vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with STDR (including DME), but not with NSTDR. Given the well-reported associations between vitamin D deficiency and other unfavourable outcomes, it is important that vitamin D deficiency is managed appropriately and in a timely manner to reduce the risk of blindness in people with diabetes.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki


VitaminDWiki - Items in both Diabetes and Vision (7 as of May 2022)


VitaminDWiki - Overview Diabetes and vitamin D contains

  • Diabetes is 5X more frequent far from the equator
  • Children getting 2,000 IU of vitamin D are 8X less likely to get Type 1 diabetes
  • Obese people get less sun / Vitamin D - and also vitamin D gets lost in fat
  • Sedentary people get less sun / Vitamin D
  • Worldwide Diabetes increase has been concurrent with vitamin D decrease and air conditioning
  • Elderly get 4X less vitamin D from the same amount of sun
        Elderly also spend less time outdoors and have more clothes on
  • All items in category Diabetes and Vitamin D 551 items: both Type 1 and Type 2

Vitamin D appears to both prevent and treat diabetes

Number of articles in both categories of Diabetes and:

  • Dark Skin 24;   Intervention 56;   Meta-analysis 40;   Obesity 36;  Pregnancy 44;   T1 (child) 39;  Omega-3 11;  Vitamin D Receptor 24;  Genetics 13;  Magnesium 29    Click here to see details

Some Diabetes studies

50 ng of Vitamin D fights Diabetes

T1 Diabetes

Pre-Diabetes

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Magnesium - many studies

Diabetic Epidemic

  • Step back to 1994. Suppose an epidemic struck the United States, causing blindness, kidney failure, and leg amputations in steadily increasing numbers.
    Suppose that in less than a decade's time, the epidemic had victimized one out of every eight people
    That epidemic is real, and its name is diabetes, now the nation's sixth leading cause of death.
    Chart from the web (2018?)
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VitaminDWiki - Items in both categories Diabetes and Vitamin D Receptor


VitaminDWiki - Vitamin D Receptor category contains

530 studies in Vitamin D Receptor category

Vitamin D tests cannot detect Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) problems
A poor VDR restricts Vitamin D from getting in the cells

See also: 48 studies in the Resveratrol category

It appears that 30% of the population have a poor VDR (40% of the Obese )
Several diseases protect themselves by deactivating the Vitamin D receptor. Example: Breast Cancer
- - - - - - - -
The Vitamin D Receptor is associated with many health problems

Health problems include: Autoimmune (19 studies), Breast Cancer (24 studies), Colon Cancer (13 studies), Cardiovascular (23 studies), Cognition (16 studies), Diabetes (24 studies), Hypertension (9 studies), Infant (22 studies), Lupus (6 studies), Metabolic Syndrome (4 studies), Mortality (4 studies), Multiple Sclerosis (14 studies), Obesity (17 studies), Pregnancy (24 studies), Rheumatoid Arthritis (10 studies), TB (8 studies), VIRUS (37 studies),   Click here for details
Some health problems, such as Breast Cancer, Diabetes, and COVID protect themselves by reducing VDR activation

55 health problems associated with poor VDR


A poor VDR is associated with the risk of 55 health problems  click here for details
The risk of 48 diseases at least double with poor VDR as of Jan 2023  click here for details
Some health problem, such as Breast Cancer reduce the VDR

VDR at-home test $29 - results not easily understood in 2016
There are hints that you may have inherited a poor VDR


How to increase VDR activation


Compensate for poor VDR by increasing one or more:

IncreasingIncreases
1) Vitamin D supplement  Sun
Ultraviolet -B
Vitamin D in the blood
and thus in the cells
2) MagnesiumVitamin D in the blood
 AND in the cells
3) Omega-3 Vitamin D in the cells
4) Resveratrol Vitamin D Receptor
5) Intense exercise Vitamin D Receptor
6) Get prescription for VDR activator
   paricalcitol, maxacalcitol?
Vitamin D Receptor
7) Quercetin (flavonoid) Vitamin D Receptor
8) Zinc is in the VDRVitamin D Receptor
9) BoronVitamin D Receptor ?,
etc
10) Essential oils e.g. ginger, curcuminVitamin D Receptor
11) ProgesteroneVitamin D Receptor
12) Infrequent high concentration Vitamin D
Increases the concentration gradient
Vitamin D Receptor
13) Sulfroaphane and perhaps sulfurVitamin D Receptor
14) Butyrate especially gutVitamin D Receptor
15) BerberineVitamin D Receptor

Note: If you are not feeling enough benefit from Vitamin D, you might try increasing VDR activation. You might feel the benefit within days of adding one or more of the above

Far healthier and stronger at age 72 due to supplements Includes 6 supplements that help the VDR


Growing Crisis—9.6M in America with Diabetic Retinopathy—1.84M at Risk of Blindness—Blacks & Latinos Hit Hardest - June 2023

TrialSite News

Dark skins reduces Vitamin D levels in blood
Diabetes reduces VitaminD levels in both blood and cells.
"Blacks have higher VTDR prevalence rates (8.7%) as well as Hispanics (7.1%) than Whites (3.6%) "


Sadly, I convinced a friend with Retinopathy to take vitamin D, but her doctor said >2,000 IU could be toxic

I had recommended 4,000 IU = the upper allowable limit at the time.
She has been blind for the past 8 years

My recomendation in 2022 would still be an average of 4,000 IU - but taken as 50,000 IU once every 2 weeks along with any of the Vitamin D Receptor activators (daily) listed above

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