Vitamin D Levels Predict Progression of Multiple Sclerosis

by | Jan 19, 2016 | 2014, Autoimmune Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Vitamin D - General, Vitamins

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Those with high vitamin D levels had a 57% lower risk of new lesions in multiple sclerosis patients.

Multiple Sclerosis is thought to be an autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself such as is seen with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (1). It is described as “an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system and the exact cause remains unknown. It affects an estimated 400,000 Americans (2) and costs our healthcare system nearly $7 billion per year (3).

Now a new study (4) suggests that having higher levels of vitamin D within the first year of diagnosis may slow both disease progression and disability from multiple sclerosis. The BENEFIT Study (5) included 464 patients aged 23 to 38 with neurological symptoms indicative of multiple sclerosis but no definitive diagnosis. They had their blood levels of vitamin D measured before the study started and at months 6, 12, and 24. They were then followed for an additional 3 years to assess disease progression, participating a total of 5 years in the study.

To make a definitive diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and monitor its progression, each patient underwent an MRI every 3 months in the first year and then at 18, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months to measure new active brain lesions, the volume of the brain lesions as well as total brain volume. Each subject also completed the Expanded Disability Status Scale score (6).

The researchers found that higher blood levels of vitamin D results in slower progression of multiple sclerosis. Specifically, every 50-nanomole/Liter (20-nanogram/milliliter) increase in average blood levels of vitamin D within the first year after diagnosis resulted in a 57% lower rate of new active lesions (p < .001), 57% lower relapse rate (p = .03), 25% lower yearly increase in T2 lesion volume (p < .001), and 0.41% lower yearly loss in brain volume (p = .07) during the subsequent 4 years of follow-up.

Regarding disability, those having vitamin D blood levels at least 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) within 1 year after the start of the study had a significantly decreased progression of disability, with a 0.17% slower decline in their Expanded Disability Status Scale score during the subsequent 4 years compared to those with vitamin D blood levels below 50 ngmol/L (p = 0.004).

For the researchers, “low [vitamin D blood levels within the first year of diagnosis] are a strong risk factor for long-term multiple sclerosis activity and progression.”

Source: “Vitamin D as an Early Predictor of Multiple Sclerosis Activity and Progression” in the January 20, 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Posted March 10, 2014.

© 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. Multiple Sclerosis Information Page” posted on the NIH website.
  2. Information obtained from the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America website.
  3. Whetten-Goldstein K. A comprehensive assessment of the cost of multiple sclerosis in the United States.  Mult Scler. 1998 Oct;4(5):419-25.
  4. Ascherio A. Vitamin D as an Early Predictor of Multiple Sclerosis Activity and Progression. JAMA Neurol. 2014 Jan 20. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2013.5993. [Epub ahead of print].
  5. Details of the BENFIT Study can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov.
  6. Kurtzke JF. Rating neurologic impairment in multiple sclerosis: an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Neurology. 1983;33(11):1444-1452.