Vitamin D (2015, 2022) & Diabetic Retinopathy

Learn more about diabetic retinopathy.

2022

This study reviews the findings of numerous recent studies on the therapeutic effects of vitamin D on ocular diseases. Evidence of association includes vitamin D and diabetic retinopathy (DR), as well as myopia, AMD (age-related macular degeneration), and DES (dry eye syndrome). As a potential intervention, it was recommended to: 1). maintain a vitamin D serum (blood) level of 25-50 nmol/L by spending short periods outdoors, generally 5-30 min of sun exposure on the unprotected face, arms, legs, or back between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. twice to three times a week, and 2). boost vitamin D intake by a daily supplement of 400-800 international units (10 to 20 g). It is not recommended to completely avoid sunlight by applying UV B sunscreen, but wear protective sunglasses and hats for long-term exposure associated with risks for some ocular diseases.

Chan H-N, Zhang X-J, Ling X-T, Bui CH-T, Wang Y-M, et al. (2022). Vitamin D and Ocular Diseases: A Systematic Review. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 23, 4226.

2015

The researchers sought to find out whether vitamin D plays any part in the development of diabetic retinopathy, or diabetic eye disease in type II diabetics.

Diabetic patients in groups of 139 with diabetic retinopathy and 144 patients without the condition were evaluated. The researchers found that deficient levels of vitamin D and D3 were tied to incidence of diabetic retinopathy. Further, they found that patients with more severe diabetic eye disease were the most deficient in those D vitamins.

Researchers: N. Alcubierre, J. Valls, E. Rubinat, G. Cao, A. Esquerda, A. Traveset, M. Granado-Casas, C. Jurjo, and D. Mauricio.

Published: Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with the Presence and Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Journal of Diabetes Research. May, 2015