Effect of vitamin D supplementation on insulin kinetics and cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovarian syndrome: a pilot study

To assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on parameters of Insulin Sensitivity/Resistance (IS/IR) and insulin secretion in subjects with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). A prospective double-blind randomized control trial was conducted to assess the effect of vitamin D on insulin kinetics in women with PCOS. The trial was conducted in a tertiary care research hospital. A total of 36 subjects with PCOS, aged 18–35 years, were included in this study. Vitamin D3 4000  IU/day versus placebo was given once a month for 6 months and both groups received metformin. IS (by whole-body IS index or Matsuda index), IR (by homeostasis model assessment IR (HOMA-IR)) and insulin secretion (by insulinogenic index; II30) were the main outcome measures. Secondary outcome included Blood Pressure (BP), lipid profile, Disposition Index (DI) and vascular stiffness. Out of 36 subjects who consented, 32 completed the study. Subjects were randomized into two groups: group A (n = 15; metformin and vitamin D 4000  IU/day) or group B (n = 17; metformin and placebo). Oral glucose tolerance tests with 75 g glucose were carried out at baseline and 6 months after supplementation. Hypovitaminosis D was observed in 93.8% of all subjects with mean serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D level of 7.30 ± 4.45 ng/ml. After 6 months of vitamin D supplementation, there was no significant difference in any of the parameters of IS/IR (area under curve (AUC)–glucose, AUC–insulin, insulin:glucose ratio, HOMA-IR, Matsuda index, insulinogenic index and DI), II30 and cardiovascular risk factors between the two groups. Supplementation of vitamin D, at a dose of 4000  IU/day for 6 months, did not have any significant effect on parameters of IS/IR and insulin secretion in subjects with PCOS

Height velocity in apparently healthy north Indian school children

Objective: Linear growth is best estimated by serial anthropometric data or height velocity (HV). In the absence of recent data on growth velocity, we undertook to establish normative data in apparently healthy North Indian children. Materials and Methods: Prospective longitudinal study in a representative sample of 7710 apparently healthy children, aged 3–17 years from different regions of Delhi. Height was measured at baseline and at 12 months while pubertal examination was performed at baseline in a subset of children. Results: The data on HV and puberty were available in 5635 participants (73.08%; 2341 boys and 3294 girls) and 1553 participants (622 boys; and 931 girls), respectively. The mean peak height velocity (PHV) was 7.82 ± 2.60 cm in boys seen at 12–12.9 years and 6.63 ± 1.81 cm in girls at 10–10.9 years Although late maturing boys had a greater HV than early or normal maturers, it did not vary with the age of pubertal maturation in girls. HV correlated with parental height in prepubertal boys, girls, and pubertal boys (P < 0.01) while no correlation was seen in girls. Conclusions: The study presents normal height velocities in North Indian children. A secular trend was observed in achieving PHV in both boys and girls