Does Vitamin D Supplementation Impact Fibromyalgia-Related Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Nutritional Science
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition with unclear pathophysiology and limited treatment efficacy.
• Potential link between vitamin D deficiency and fibromyalgia symptom severity is suggested.
• Vitamin D may modulate pain and inflammation pathways relevant to fibromyalgia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in fibromyalgia.
• To assess the impact of vitamin D on pain reduction and quality of life in fibromyalgia patients.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Literature search conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases.
• Inclusion of 7 studies for systematic review and 4 studies for meta-analysis.

Main Results:

• Vitamin D supplementation demonstrated a significant reduction in pain levels compared to placebo.
• Statistically significant effects were observed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) or Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (SMD = -0.85; p=0.0148).
• Improvements in quality of life were noted, with significant effects on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) scale (SMD = -0.87; p=0.0115).

Conclusions:

• Vitamin D supplementation shows promise as an adjunct therapy for managing fibromyalgia pain.
• Further high-quality clinical trials are warranted to confirm these findings.
• Identifying specific patient subgroups who may benefit most from vitamin D is recommended.