Comparison Of Vitamin D Level In Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Between Those With Peripheral Neuropathy And Without: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common chronic complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the development of DPN through its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties; however, evidence from the Indonesian population remains limited. This study aimed to compare serum vitamin D levels between T2DM patients with and without DPN. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 68 patients with T2DM attending the Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinic of RSUD Bangil, East Java, Indonesia. Participants were equally divided into DPN (n = 34) and non-DPN (n = 34) groups. DPN was assessed using the Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Scoring System, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured by fluorescence immunoassay. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. The median serum vitamin D level was significantly lower in patients with DPN than in those without DPN [15.5 (7.3–44.7) vs. 24.1 (12.3–63.7) ng/mL; p = 0.001]. Vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in the DPN group than in the non-DPN group (76.5% vs. 38.2%; p = 0.004). No significant differences were observed in demographic and clinical characteristics between the two groups (all p > 0.05). Serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower in patients with DPN than in those without DPN. Vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in the DPN group.