Vitamin D Levels Correspond to Disability in MS

[tedhutchinson]

Vitamin D Levels Correspond to Disability in MS

 

They found that for every 10-ng/mL increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, subsequent EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Scale) scores were 0.05 points lower, and subsequent normalized gray matter volume was 7 cc higher

.....................

Based on the results and a growing body of literature suggesting a role for vitamin D in MS, lead investigator Dr. Ellen Mowry, an assistant professor of neuroimmunology at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, often supplements her patients to a vitamin D level of 40-60 ng/mL(=100~150nmol/l), which usually takes 2,000-4,000 international units a day.

 

People who live north of Baltimore may require more. In the UK it is likely to take more than 5000iu/daily. Baltimore is equivalent to Lisbon Portugal or Greece a lot hotter and sunnier than where I live at 52n and Scotland goes from north of 54N to North of 57n.

 

CityAssays Birmingham NHS Path lab will send a postal 25(OH)D test for £25 UK or £30 for International. IMO as MS is an inflammatory condition and the highest anti-inflammatory action of vit d is found at 125nmol/l or 50ng/ml Up to 10,000iu daily is safe (it's the amount your skin would create if you were able to live naked outdoors)

 

BigVits or Amazon UK now offer 5000 iu drops/capsules around £12 for a years supply, Almost as cheap as Iherb/Vitacost or other US discount suppliers.

 

Remembert MS is an inflammatory condition and Vitamin D3 works in conjunction with magnesium and omega 3 (other anti inflammory agents. Magnesium is required to convert the supplemental form to the active form (most people don't get the current low RDA for magnesium) and the Omega 3 DHA also is able to bind with the Vitamin D receptor (it's a vit d receptor ligand) to support the action of D3. So it makes sense to increase magnesium and omega 3 alongside the Vit d intake.

The other anti inflammatory agent most people lack is MELATONIN, Human DNA is set to create Vit d in skin from DAWN to DUSK and from DUSK to DAWN our pineal glands should be producing melatonin.

Edited 15 May 2012, 9:25 am by tedhutchinson

[Scully]

That's really interesting stuff, thank you for posting the information for us.

 

Scully

[tedhutchinson]

The same research team has done other work. In this paper they report on MRI scans showing the impact of vit d status on development of new T2 lesions

Vitamin D status predicts new brain MRI activity in multiple sclerosis

 

 

Abstract

Objective:

We sought to determine if vitamin D status is associated with developing new T2 lesions or contrast-enhancing lesions on brain MRI in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS).

 

Methods:

EPIC is a five-year longitudinal MS cohort study at the University of California, San Francisco. Participants had clinical evaluations, brain MRI, and blood draws annually. From the overall cohort, we evaluated patients with clinically isolated syndrome or relapsing-remitting MS at baseline. In univariate and multivariate (adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, smoking, and MS treatments) repeated measures analyses, annual 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were evaluated for their association with subsequent new T2-weighted and gadolinium-enhancing T1-weighted lesions on brain MRI, clinical relapses, and disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale [ EDSS]).

 

Results:

2,362 3T brain MRI scans were acquired from 469 subjects. In multivariate analyses, each 10 ng/mL higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D was associated with a 15% lower risk of a new T2 lesion (incidence rate ratio [iRR]= 0.85, 95% CI [0.76, 0.95], p=0.004) and a 32% lower risk of a gadolinium-enhancing lesion (IRR=0.68, 95% CI [0.53, 0.87], p=0.002). Each 10 ng/mL higher vitamin D level was associated with lower subsequent disability (-0.047, 95% CI [-0.091, -0.003], p=0.037). Higher vitamin D levels were associated with lower, but not statistically significant, relapse risk. Except for the EDSS model, all associations were stronger when the within-person change in vitamin D level was the predictor.

 

Interpretation:

Vitamin D levels are inversely associated with MS activity on brain MRI. These results provide further support for a randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation. ANN NEUROL 2010

[Slugger]

Thanks for the info Ted interesting.

If it delays progression thats a good thing.