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Vitamin D and rheumatoid arthritis
Ifigenia Kostoglou-Athanassiou1, Panagiotis Athanassiou, Aikaterini Lyraki
1Department of Endocrinology, Red Cross Hospital, 7 Korinthias Street, 115 26 Athens, Greece.
Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism
|January 17, 2013
Summary
Vitamin D deficiency is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and linked to increased disease activity. Supplementation may help manage RA symptoms and prevent osteoporosis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Endocrinology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Vitamin D deficiency is implicated in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
- Lower vitamin D intake correlates with higher RA susceptibility and disease activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess vitamin D status in RA patients.
- To determine the relationship between vitamin D levels and RA disease activity.
Main Methods:
- Measured 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) [25(OH)D(3)], parathyroid hormone, CRP, and ESR in 44 RA patients and 44 controls.
- Assessed disease activity using the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28).
Main Results:
- RA patients had significantly lower 25(OH)D(3) levels (15.26 ± 1.07 ng/ml) compared to controls (25.8 ± 1.6 ng/ml).
- Elevated parathyroid hormone, CRP, and ESR were observed in RA patients.
- 25(OH)D(3) levels showed negative correlations with DAS28, CRP, and ESR.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in RA patients.
- Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with increased RA disease severity.
- Vitamin D supplementation could be beneficial for osteoporosis prevention and pain management in RA.
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