A prospective study to determine the effect of Vitamin D levels on musculoskeletal pain, anxiety, and depressions in patients with type II diabetes

Objectives: The primary objective was to investigate the correlation of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) intensity with Vitamin D status and glycemic control in patients of type II diabetes mellitus. The secondary objective was to monitor the anxiety and depression levels with Vitamin D supplementation. Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was conducted over a period of 18 months where 100 patients of type II diabetes mellitus with MSP were screened for Vitamin D status and glycemic levels in terms of HbA1c, anxiety, and depression. MSP was assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score. The patients who were found with Vitamin D levels (<30 ug/dL) were supplemented with Vitamin D and followed at 3 monthly intervals for 6 months for determining the change in MSP, anxiety, and depression scores. Results: After adjusting for the duration of diabetes, HbA1c, and statin therapy, there was no significant correlation between VAS score and Vitamin D (r = −0.133, P = 0.195). After 6 months of Vitamin D supplementation, all cases attained optimal Vitamin D levels of mean (standard deviation [SD]) of 32.5 (4.1) ng/ml as compared to mean (SD) of 23.4 (2.5) ng/ml at baseline (P < 0.0001). Concurrently, there was a significant reduction in the median (range) VAS scores from 6 (2–10) to 4 (0–8), anxiety levels from 11 (7.75–18) to 10 (7–17), and depression levels from 10 (7–15) to 9 (6–14) (P < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusion: There was no significant independent correlation of MSP intensity with Vitamin D levels or glycemic control. However, the supplementation of Vitamin D significantly alleviated MSP in patients with diabetes, with a significant reduction in anxiety and depression among them.