Rheumatoid Arthritis is more severe if low vitamin D – July 2023

Relationship Between Serum Vitamin D Level and Disease Severity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Clin Med Insights Arthritis Musculoskelet Disord. 2023 Jul 6;16:11795441231182997. doi: 10.1177/11795441231182997
Farhang Soltani Bajestani 1, Nasim Khajavian 2, Davoud Salarbashi 3, Mojtaba Kafili 4, Fatemeh Ashori 5, Jafar Hajavi 6 (Iran)

Background and objective: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain and reduces daily activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum of vitamin D and its relationship with the severity of the disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis referred to Allameh Hehlool hospital in Gonabad.

Design and methods: This cross-sectional-analytical study was performed on 92 patients referred to the rheumatology clinic of Allameh Behlool Gonabad Hospital in 2021. After obtaining the permission of the ethics committee, the samples were selected based on the desired criteria. Serum vitamin D levels in patients were measured, and data were collected using a patient information checklist and DAS28-CRP activity questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16 and using statistically appropriate tests at a significance level less than 5%.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 53.05 ± 12.33 years and most of them (58.7%) were women. Serum vitamin D level was sufficient in 65.2% of patients and the severity of the disease was in the remission in 48.9% of them. The results of chi-square test showed a significant relationship between serum vitamin D levels and disease severity in patients (P < .001).

Conclusions: Serum vitamin D levels were inversely related to disease severity and in most patients with severe disease severity, serum vitamin D levels were inadequate. vitamin D supplementation is recommended in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
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Vitamin D Life – Rheumatoid Arthritis category contains

    Highlights of RA studies in Vitamin D Life
RA worse if low Vitamin D

• Rheumatoid Arthritis is more severe if low vitamin D – July 2023
• Rheumatoid arthritis pain was 5.8 X more likely if low vitamin D – Aug 2017
• Adaptive and innate immune system, vitamin D genes, and Rheumatoid Arthritis – June 2019
• Every patient with rheumatoid arthritis had low vitamin D, severity was proportional to degree of deficiency – June 2014
• Active Rheumatologic disease was 5X more likely with low vitamin D – June 2013
• Rheumatoid Arthritis strongly associated with low vitamin D – meta-analysis April 2016
• Rheumatoid Arthritis associated with lower vitamin D and higher latitude – meta-analysis Jan 2016

RA Treated by Vitamin D

• Rheumatoid Arthritis pain reduced by monthly 100,000 IU of Vitamin D – Oct 2018
• Rheumatoid arthritis reduced by 440,000 IU of Vitamin D over 4 months – Oct 2015
• Connective tissue disorders (Lupus, RA, etc) treated by vitamin D – May 2016
• 43 percent of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients have Vitamin D prescriptions (15 countries) – June 2017
• Big increase in vitamin D supplementation in just 2 years after Swiss rheumatology report – Dec 2013
• High dose vitamin reduced pain of fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis - July 2015
  • Note: Vitamin D receptor problems (such as RA) are best treated by infrequent large doses of Vitamin D