The association of VDR polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes in older people living in community in Santiago de Chile

INTRODUCTION: Several polymorphisms have been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes in different populations. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequencies of a genetic polymorphism of vitamin D receptor (FokI and BsmI) in patients with T2D. METHODS: The case–control study was conducted in 138 patients with T2D and 172 control subjects, men and women (60–79 years old). The genotype and allele frequency determination of VDR polymorphisms were determined in these subjects. RESULTS: The frequency of the C allele of the FokI polymorphism was significantly higher in the T2D group than in healthy subjects (p = 0.025). The frequencies of the BsmI variant were similar in subjects with and without T2D (p = 0.747). Consistent with these data, there was an association of the C allele with T2D (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.003–3.084, p = 0.036), but not the AG + GG variants for BsmI (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.635–1.649, p = 0.916). We can observe a significant association between carrier of the T > C variant of FokI and type 2 diabetes, adjusted for vitamin D, age, obesity (overweight and obesity), seasonality, sex and Homa-IR. Here, we show a significant association between the FokI polymorphisms (TC + CC) and T2D with an odds ratio of 1.9001 (95% CI (1.0970–3.6838), p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the C allele (TC + CC) of the VDR-FokI gene is a possible risk factor for T2D in older people living in a community in Santiago de Chile.