Association Between Vitamin D Levels and the Atherogenic Index of Plasma Among Chinese with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

PURPOSE: The relationship between atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) values and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH] D) was examined in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Six hundred and ninety-eight T2DM patients were included. Patients were allocated to two groups, namely, the vitamin D-deficient and non-deficient groups (threshold of 20 ng/mL). The AIP was determined as log (TG [mmol/L] / HDL-C [mmol/L]). The patients were then allocated to two further groups according to the median AIP value. RESULTS: AIP level in the vitamin D-deficient group was significantly higher than that in non-deficient group (P<0.05). Patients with high AIP values had markedly reduced levels of vitamin D levels compared with those in the low-AIP group [15.89 (11.97, 20.29) VS 18.22 (13.89, 23.08), P<0.001]. Patients in the high AIP group had a higher rate of vitamin D deficiency (73.3% VS 60.6%). It was found that AIP values were adversely and independently correlated with vitamin D levels. The AIP value was shown to independently predict vitamin D deficiency risk in T2DM patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with T2DM were shown to have an increased risk of vitamin D insufficiency when their AIP levels were low. This suggests that AIP is associated with vitamin D insufficiency in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.