The Role of Vitamin D and Physical Activity in Type 2 Diabetes

 

In the UK an individual is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every three minutes (diabetes.org.uk, 2008) and whilst type 2 diabetes does have genetic determinants, it is estimated that nine out of ten cases are attributable to lifestyle choices such as participation in physical activity and diet (Hu et al., 2001). Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin only naturally present in very few foods, our main source of vitamin D is from exposure to sunlight. Due to changing lifestyles people are less active and spending less time outdoors, as a consequence vitamin D deficiency is increasing in prevalence (Zella and DeLucia, 2003). Vitamin D deficiency is associated with several diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, and more recently diabetes (Cannell et al., 2008).

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between diabetes and vitamin D. Improving our understanding of this relationship can inform treatment with the aim of reducing the need for medications for the treatment of diabetes.

Everybody who takes part in the study will be asked to attend the Department of Sport and Exercise Science in Aberystwyth University once every six months over a 12 month period. A blood sample will be taken to measure your glucose, insulin and vitamin D levels, you will also be asked to complete three lifestyle questionnaires.

Each visit will take about an hour. So in total over a twelve month period your time commitment would be three hours.

The information collected during the study will be written up as part of a PhD thesis and as scientific papers. The results gained may be used in other research studies however your personal details will not be published and all data will be anonymous.

If you are interested in taking part or would like some more information please contact; Ffion Curtis (fic7@aber.ac.uk; 01970 622070)