Vitamins have many established roles in human health. However, the role of habitual dietary intake of vitamins in glucose homeostasis in individuals after acute pancreatitis (AP) is yet to be elucidated. The aim was to investigate the associations between habitual intake of fat- and water-soluble vitamins/vitamers and markers of glucose metabolism (fasting plasma glucose (FPG), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, and homeostasis model assessment β-cell function (HOMA-β)) in individuals after AP. A total of 106 participants after AP were included in this cross-sectional study and were grouped based on glycaemic status: new-onset prediabetes/diabetes after AP (NODAP), pre-existing prediabetes/type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and normoglycaemia after AP (NAP). Habitual intake of seven fat-soluble vitamins/vitamers and seven water-soluble vitamins were determined by the EPIC-Norfolk food frequency questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using five statistical models built to adjust for covariates (age, sex, daily energy intake, visceral/subcutaneous fat volume ratio, smoking status, daily alcohol intake, aetiology of AP, number of AP episodes, cholecystectomy, and use of antidiabetic medications). In the NODAP group, three fat-soluble vitamins/vitamers (α-carotene, β-carotene, and total carotene) were significantly associated with HOMA-β. One water-soluble vitamin (vitamin B3) was also significantly associated with HOMA-β in the NODAP group. None of the studied vitamins were significantly associated with FPG or HOMA-IR in the NODAP group. Prospective longitudinal studies and randomised controlled trials are now warranted to investigate if the observed associations between vitamin/vitamer intake and NODAP are causal and to unveil the specific mechanisms underlying their involvement with NODAP.
Keywords: acute pancreatitis; carotenoids; diabetes; glucose metabolism; habitual vitamin intake; insulin traits; prediabetes; vitamin B3.