Vitamin D status in rheumatoid arthritis patients: relation to clinical manifestations, disease activity, quality of life and fibromyalgia syndrome

• Published in: International journal of rheumatic diseases 2016-03, Vol.19 (3), p.294-299
• Main Authors: Gheita, Tamer A., Sayed, Safaa, Gheita, Heba A., Kenawy, Sanaa A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - complications; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - diagnosis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - physiopathology; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - psychology; Biomarkers - blood; Case-Control Studies; Cost of Illness; disease activity (DAS-28); Female; Fibromyalgia - diagnosis; Fibromyalgia - etiology; Fibromyalgia - physiopathology; Fibromyalgia - psychology; fibromyalgia syndrome; HAQ II; Health Status; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; QoL; Quality of Life; rheumatoid arthritis; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; vitamin D; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - complications; Vitamin D Deficiency - diagnosis
• ISSN: 1756-1841; 1756-185X
• DOI: 10.1111/1756-185X.12426

Aim To assess vitamin D levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to find their relation to clinical parameters, fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), quality of life (QoL) and disease activity. Methods The study included 63 RA patients and 62 controls. Clinical examination and laboratory investigations were performed. For patients, the Disease Activity Score (DAS‐28), QoL index, Health Assessment Questionnaire II (HAQ II) and Modified Larsen score were calculated. 25‐OH‐vitamin D was measured in patients and controls. Results The patients’ mean age was 41.59 ± 9.69 years and disease duration 5.89 ± 3.67 years. The level of vitamin D in RA patients was significantly lower (23.11 ± 12.71 ng/mL) than that in the controls (32.59 ± 13.06 ng/mL) (P = 0.005) being deficient in 50.8%, insufficient in 23.8% and normal in 25.4%. The RA patients with FMS (n = 33) had significantly lower levels of vitamin D (19.08 ± 10.59 ng/mL) than those without (27.55 ± 13.51 ng/mL) (P = 0.008). The difference was significant on comparing those receiving hydroxychloroquine (17.39 ± 7.84 ng/mL) to those not (31.85 ± 13.85 ng/mL) (P