Rheumatoid arthritis fought by Vitamin D (by single large dose or long enough time) – meta-analysis
Effects of vitamin D supplementation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Heliyon, Volume 11, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42463
Mahsa Ranjbara,b ∙ Mehran Rahimlouc ∙ Maryam Fallaha ∙ Kurosh Djafariana,d ∙ Hamed Mohammadia mohamadihd@gmail.com
Highlights
Significant improvements were observed in DAS-28 scores, CRP, ESR, and Serum vitamin D levels.
No significant effects were found on the HAQ and VAS-pain scores.
GRADE assessment indicated moderate certainty for most outcomes, with high certainty for serum vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D supplementation may benefit RA patients, but optimal dosage and treatment duration remain unclear.
Background
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is known as an inflammatory illness. Evidence shows that Vitamin D modulates immunologic function and inflammation by affecting various immunological cells. We decided to run a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and the outcomes of adult patients suffering from RA.
Methods
We searched electronic databases, using specific search terms in PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science, until May 2024. Clinical studies involving patients with RA were included if they compared the effects of vitamin D supplementation to either a placebo or standard care. The results from the selected studies were presented as weighted mean differences (WMD) along with a 95 % confidence interval (CI).
Results
Inclusion criteria have been met by 11 studies and presented as part of this analysis. The results indicate a major influence of vitamin D supplementation on the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS-28) (WMD: −0.83, 95 % CI: −1.38 to −0.28, p-value <0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP) level (WMD: −0.24, 95 % CI: −0.45 to −0.03, p-value = 0.03), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) level (WMD: −4.08, 95 % CI: −4.67 to −3.50, p-value <0.001), serum vitamin D level (WMD: 12.69, 95 % CI: 1.80 to 23.59, p-value = 0.02), and non-significant effect on the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) and visual analog scale on pain (VAS-pain) scores. Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment shows moderate certainty of the evidence for all outcomes except for serum vitamin D, which has a high certainty of the evidence.
Conclusion
To improve DAS-28, CRP, ESR, and serum vitamin D in RA patients, vitamin D supplements may be beneficial, although the optimal dosage and length of treatment are still unknown.
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