Vitamin D levels and bone mass in rheumatoid arthritis

Previous evidence suggests an association between vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. We also know that people with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk for osteoporosis. So a team of experts looked at levels of vitamin D in the blood, bone mineral density and disease activity in 34 women, who they compared to 41 healthy women.
They found that women with rheumatoid arthritis had lower levels of vitamin D than the healthy women, and report their findings in Rheumatology International. No significant differences were found in lumbar spine bone mineral density between women before or after menopause. Femoral neck bone mineral density was lower in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis than postmenopausal health women.
No linear correlation between vitamin D levels and disease activity was found, but women with moderate-high disease activity had lower vitamin D levels than those with low disease activity.After one year of vitamin D treatment, blood levels of vitamin D were increased and so had disease activity scores.
“We conclude that patients with rheumatoid arthritis had lower (vitamin D) levels than the control group,” the researchers say. “Low levels of (vitamin D) were associated with moderate-high disease activity suggesting the importance of optimal (vitamin D) levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients.”
Femoral neck bone mineral density was lower in postmenopausal rheumatoid arthritis patients.
But no differences in lumbar bone mineral density were found in women before or after menopause. This means that “bone mass evaluation in rheumatoid arthritis patients should include femoral neck bone mineral density regardless of age”.
Click here to read the original research.