Vitamin D in Diabetic Neuropathy

Overview

Introduction Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is among the most common chronic complications of diabetes mellitus and represents a major cause of morbidity, impaired quality of life, sleep disturbance, chronic pain, and functional disability.(Kurz et al., 2026) The pathogenesis of DPN is multifactorial and involves oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, mitochondrial injury, and microvascular ischemia, leading to progressive nerve damage.(Yang et al., 2025) Despite the availability of symptomatic therapies such as gabapentin, pregabalin, and duloxetine, many patients continue to experience persistent neuropathic symptoms, poor sleep quality, and impaired daily functioning. Existing pharmacological therapies are often associated with incomplete response, adverse effects, and high economic burden.(Kaye et al., 2025) Recently, vitamin D has attracted attention beyond its classical role in calcium and bone metabolism. Experimental and clinical evidence suggest that vitamin D possesses neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidative properties. Vitamin D receptors are widely distributed in neuronal tissues, Schwann cells, and immune cells, suggesting a potential role in nerve repair and modulation of neuropathic pain pathways.(Liu et al., 2025) Several observational studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among patients with diabetic neuropathy, and low serum vitamin D levels have been associated with increased neuropathic pain severity and poorer quality of life. However, available interventional studies remain limited and have produced inconsistent findings regarding the therapeutic benefit of vitamin D supplementation in DPN.(Ou et al., 2021) Therefore, this study aims to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation can improve neuropathic pain, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life among patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.