Vitamin D deficiency confirmed as common across a range of rheumatic conditions

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/elar-vdd061710.php

Public release date: 18-Jun-2010
Contact: Rory Berrie
European League Against Rheumatism
Vitamin D deficiency confirmed as common across a range of rheumatic conditions
Recommended supplementation is not sufficient to normalize vitamin D levels in RA and osteoporosis patients

Rome, Italy, Friday 18 June 2010: Two separate studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with a range of rheumatic diseases, with over half of all patients having below the 'normal' healthy levels of vitamin D (48-145 nmol/L) in their bodies. A further study assessing response to vitamin D supplementation found that taking the recommended daily dose did not normalise vitamin D levels in rheumatic disease patients. The results of these three studies were presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy.

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Furthermore, a third study undertaken in Italy3 aimed to evaluate the affect of vitamin D supplementation in patients with inflammatory autoimmune disease (IAD) and non-inflammatory autoimmune disease (NIAD). Following supplementation, only 29% patients reached vitamin D levels greater than the level clinically considered to be 'sufficient' in healthy subjects, with no significant differences in vitamin D levels observed between the IAD and NIAD groups.

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