RESEARCH - Relationships among vitamin D, disease activity, pain and disability in RA

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Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010 Sep-Oct;28(5):745-7. Epub 2010 Oct 22.

Relationships among vitamin D, disease activity, pain and disability

in rheumatoid arthritis.

Haque UJ, Bartlett SJ.

Division of Rheumatology, s Hopkins University School of Medicine,

Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with

important skeletal and non-skeletal biologic functions. Vitamin D

deficiency is common and manifests with musculoskeletal symptoms. In

rheumatoid arthritis (RA), vitamin D deficiency may be associated with

increased disease activity and disability. We aimed to estimate the

relationship between Vitamin D level and disease activity, pain, and

disability in RA.

METHODS: Data were drawn from 62 RA patients seen in an academic

arthritis clinic. 25(OH)D levels were evaluated along with markers of

RA disease activity, physician and patient global assessments, pain

(VAS) and HAQ. DAS-28 was calculated. Vitamin D deficiency was defined

as 25(OH)D levels<30ng/ml.

RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of RA patients were classified as vitamin D

deficient. In patients with active RA (DAS 28 score≥2.6), 25(OH)D was

moderately and inversely associated with DAS 28 (-0.38), pain (-0.49)

and HAQ (-0.54) (p<0.01). However, no significant associations were

found between 25(OH)D and these variables in patients in remission

(DAS 28<2.6). Vitamin D deficient patients with active RA had six

times the odds (OR=6.0, 95% CI 1.2-31.2) of being moderately or

severely disabled (HAQ≥1.25).

CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was common in this RA group. In

patients with moderate to high disease activity, vitamin D deficiency

was associated with higher DAS scores, pain and disability. Clinicians

in northern climates may wish to monitor vitamin D status in their RA

patients.

PMID: 20883640

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20883640

Not an MD