Multiple Myeloma Subjects Exhibit Significantly Higher Incidence of Vitamin D Deficiency

by | Aug 29, 2023 | Cancer, Vitamin D - Cancer

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Results of the systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies shows that vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency occurrence was estimated to be 34.1% and 39.4%, respectively, in subjects with multiple myeloma. 

vitamin D capsulesMultiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell disorder caused by uncontrolled proliferation of neoplastic plasma cells1. In the United States, MM accounts for almost 2% of cancer diagnoses and incidence has risen by 126% globally since 19902. MM typically occurs in the elderly, with 85% and 60% of diagnoses made in individuals over 55 and 65 years of age, respectively3.

Recent studies suggest an important role of vitamin D in improving outcomes of patients with cancer4. Vitamin D has been shown to play an essential role in many conditions, such as bone mineralization, the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, immunomodulation, and insulin resistance5. Vitamin D deficiency is common among MM patients, with one study showing that 42.3% of participants identified as having a vitamin D deficiency6.

Ismail et al. conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze the worldwide occurrence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in individuals with MM. Study inclusion consisted of studies examining the serum concentrations of vitamin D in MM subjects who were 18 years or older. Subgroup analysis was performed on vitamin D levels and was stratified by participant type and geographical location. A tau-squared test was utilized to assess heterogeneity and to analyze inconsistency among the studies.

18 studies were included in the final analysis. The studies were conducted in North America (n=6), Europe (n=7), Australia (n=2), Asia (n=2), and Africa (n=1). Subjects’ mean age ranged from 56.0 to 69.1 years and the studies featured subjects who were under treatment (UT), newly diagnosed but had not begun treatment (NDMM) or were newly diagnosed and under treatment. Seven studies reported that subjects were UT and four studies documented the use of vitamin D supplementation among MM participants.

Significant findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis show that vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency occurrence was estimated to be 34.1% (95% CI: 20.9-47.2, n = 3559) and 39.4% (95% CI: 25.8-52.9, n = 3746), respectively. Results of the cohort of NDMM and UT subjects found that 43.0% (95% CI: 6.8 to 79.1) and 41.6% (95% CI: 19.3 to 64.0) had vitamin D deficiency, while 30.2% (95% CI: 3.2 to 57.2) and 32.3% (95% CI: 10.0 to 54.5) had vitamin D insufficiency. Vitamin D deficiency prevalence among subjects varied based on geographical location. The highest prevalence was found in Europe, with a rate of 60.0%.

Results of the systematic review and meta-analysis show that a substantial amount of multiple myeloma subjects had significant vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. Furthermore, MM subjects who were untreated had a slightly higher rate of vitamin D deficiency levels at 43.0% compared to the 41.6% vitamin D deficiency in treated participants. Further research should explore the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation for MM subjects.

Source: Ismail, Nor Hayati, Ali Mussa, Mutaz Jamal Al-Khreisat, Shafini Mohamed Yusoff, Azlan Husin, Muhammad Farid Johan, and Md Asiful Islam. “The Global Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Insufficiency in Patients with Multiple Myeloma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Nutrients 15, no. 14 (2023): 3227.

© 2023 by the authors.Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Posted August 29, 2023. 

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

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