Association between low 25-hydroxyvitamin D, insulin resistance and arterial stiffness in nondiabetic women with systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective The objective of this paper is to examine if there is an association between low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and insulin resistance (IR) in nondiabetic women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to evaluate its impact on arterial stiffness. Patients and methods In this cross-sectional study 25(OH)D, insulin, insulin resistance measured by the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), homocysteine, fibrinogen, characteristics of SLE, medications and pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were measured in 106 nondiabetic women with SLE and 101 matched controls. Results Women with SLE tended to have lower 25(OH)D levels ( p = 0.078) and a higher frequency of 25(OH)D deficiency (defined as Conclusion Low 25(OH)D levels were found to be associated with increased IR in nondiabetic women with SLE independently of BMI. Low 25(OH)D levels, but not IR, could be associated with increased arterial stiffness in these patients.