| Causes of Scleroderma (MAIN MENU) |
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| Vitamin D Deficiency, Sunshine, and Scleroderma |
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| Overview |
| Vitamin D's major biological function is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Recent studies have demonstrated that individuals with low blood levels of vitamin D are at a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases. |
| Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. Information about the popular supplement from Office of Dietary Supplements. National Institutes of Health. (Also see: Supplements) |
| The ABCs of Ds. If you live in the Great White North, is virtually impossible to generate through your skin as of mid-October. Since it's really tough to get much from your diet (oily fish, or supplemented in milk, yogurt and margarine), that means now's the time to crack open the pill bottles. Jennifer Sygo. National Post. Canada.com. October 2009. |
| How much vitamin D should someone over 55 take? Vitamin D is essential for promoting calcium absorption in the gut, build and preserve bone, helps prevent osteoporosis and helps decrease fracture risk. In addition, vitamin D may help in the prevention or treatment of type 1 diabetes, some cancers, and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Melina Jampolis. CNMHealth.com. 03/20/09. |
| Essential Nutrient. Why vitamin D deficiency may be a hidden epidemic. Amanda Schaffer. Slate. 08/24/04. |
| Autoimmune Diseases and Vitamin D |
| Insights into endocrine-immunological disturbances in autoimmunity and their impact on treatment. The vitamin D endocrine system is regarded as a potential immunosuppressive factor. Consequently, estrogens (especially in patients affected by B cell-driven immunity) and melatonin should be avoided and glucocorticoids (as replacement therapy) and vitamin D are allowed in treatment of autoimmunity. M. Cutolo. Arthritis Research & Therapy. April 6 2009. (Also see: Hormones) |
| Vitamin D or hormone D deficiency in autoimmune rheumatic diseases, including undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). Epidemiological evidence indicates a significant association between vitamin D deficiency and an increased incidence of autoimmune diseases. Patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease also show vitamin D deficiency and, interestingly, patients who progress into CTDs had the lower vitamin D levels than those who remained in UCTD stage. M. Cutolo. Arthritis Research & Therapy. Dec 2 2008. (Also see: UCTD) |
| Vitamin D deficiency in Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD). Our results suggest that vitamin D deficiency in UCTD patients may play a role in the subsequent progress into well-defined CTDs. E. Zold. Arthritis Research & Therapy. October 18, 2008. (Also see: UCTD) |
| Review: Vitamin D, immunity and lupus. Patients with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus show low 25-OH vitamin D serum levels. (Sage Journals) Lupus, Vol. 17, No. 1, 6-10 (2008). (Also see: Autoimmunity) |
| Mounting evidence for vitamin D as an environmental factor affecting autoimmune disease prevalence. Experimentally, vitamin D deficiency results in the increased incidence of autoimmune disease. Increased vitamin D intakes might decrease the incidence and severity of autoimmune diseases and the rate of bone fracture. PubMed. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2004 Dec;229(11):1136-42. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma: Dendritic Cells) |
| The Risk Of Multiple Sclerosis May Be Decreased By High Levels Of Vitamin D In The Body. In the first large-scale, prospective study researchers have found an association between higher levels of vitamin D in the body and a lower risk of MS. Medical News Today. 12/31/06. (Also see: Multiple Sclerosis) |
| Deficiencies of Vitamin D |
| Measurement uncertainty of 25-OH vitamin D determination with different commercially available kits: impact on the clinical cut offs. Results show that, whatever the assay, the “true” 25(OH)D of a patient will be >80 nmol/L if its measured concentration is >100 nmol/L. In other words, if a physician considers that a normal Vitamin D status is defined by a 25(OH)D level ≥80 nmol/L, he should ensure that the patients present a 25(OH)D ≥100 nmol/L. E. Cavalier Osteoporosis International. September 15, 2009. |
| Vitamin D Deficiency and Insufficiency in 2 Independent Cohorts of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis. Vitamin D deficiency was very common in the 2 SSc populations, independent of geographic origin and vitamin D supplementation. This suggests that common vitamin D supplementation does not correct the deficiency in SSc patients, and that a higher dose is probably needed, especially in those with high inflammatory activity or severe disease. Alessandra Vacca J Rheumatol vol. 36 no. 9 1924-1929. September 2009. |
| Chronic pain linked to low vitamin D. The study also found the patients with the lower levels of vitamin D self-reported worse physical functioning and worse overall health perception. UPI.com. 03/23/09. (Also see: Pain) |
| Vitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone, and Acroosteolysis in Systemic Sclerosis. Low levels of vitamin D may reflect silent malabsorption and might be a risk factor for secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone resorption. Y. Braun-Moscovici. J Rheumatol. Oct 1 2008. (Also see: Calcinosis, and Bone Resorption) |
| Bone Mineral Density, Markers Of Bone Metabolism And Vitamin D Metabolites In Patients With Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). A osteologic screening should be done routinely in patients with SSc to prevent loss of bone mass by early, adequate osteoprotective medication. L. Philipp THU0303 EULAR 2007. (Also see: Skeletal Involvement) |
| Vitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone And Acro-Osteolysis (AO) In Systemic Sclerosis. In this group of Mediterranean SSc patients, the incidence of vitamin D deficiency and secondary hyperparathyroidism was surprisingly high. This finding correlated with the occurrence of AO and calcinosis. Low levels of vit D may reflect silent malabsorption and might be a risk factor for secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone resorption. Y. Braun-Moscovici. AB0497 EULAR 2007. (Also see: Skeletal Involvement and Thyroid Disease) |
| Global Prevalence and Skeletal Implications of Vitamin D Inadequacy. Although supplementation is an effective means of improving vitamin D status, adherence to supplementation recommendations is low. Greater awareness of the importance of vitamin D for skeletal health and more aggressive supplementation are needed, especially in populations at high risk for inadequacy. J. Reginster. FRI0349 EULAR 2005. |
| Vitamin D and calcium deficits predispose for multiple chronic diseases. In addition to skeletal disorders, calcium and vitamin D deficits increase the risk of malignancies, particularly of colon, breast and prostate gland, of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (e.g. insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis), as well as of metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome, hypertension). PubMed. Eur J Clin Invest. 2005 May;35(5):290-304. |
| Sunshine and Scleroderma |
| Safe Sun Protection. For people with specific autoimmune disorders, protection from the sun should be a serious perennial consideration. Conditions such as Lupus, dermatomyositis, scleroderma and vitaligo are autoimmune diseases that are sun-sensitive. Mary Jo DiLonardo. Arthritis Today. July 2009. |
| Do You Have an Autoimmune Disease? Why You Should Beware of the Sun. The sun’s effects may reach through skin and ‘punish’ the immune system. People with scleroderma, too, can be affected by sun exposure, says Frederick Wigley, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center in Baltimore. While they don’t have the same blistering or flares associated with lupus, the sun can cause further damage to skin already hardened and damaged by the disease. Also, some people with scleroderma have hyperpigmentation of the skin that is made worse by sun exposure. Arthritis Today, July-August 2005. |
| Sunshine and Vitamin D |
| Sunshine could be key to getting enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is a common complaint in prenatal diets, but simply getting a bit more sunshine during pregnancy could hold the key to boosting productions of it. Pregnant mothers are particularly liable to develop vitamin D deficiency, and so they are at increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases. Bounty News. 03/08/07. (Also see: Preganancy and Scleroderma) |
| D-Hormone and the Immune System. D-hormone [1,25(OH)2 D3] is an important immune system regulator that has been shown to inhibit development of autoimmune diseases including experimental inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), and type 1 diabetes. J Rheumatol 2005 September;32 Suppl 76:11-20. |
| Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Sensible sun exposure (usually 5-10 min of exposure of the arms and legs or the hands, arms, and face, 2 or 3 times per week) and increased dietary and supplemental vitamin D intakes are reasonable approaches to guarantee vitamin D sufficiency. PubMed. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6):1678S-88S. |
| Supplementation of Vitamin D |
| Before taking supplements of any kind, consult with your physicians. |
| Time to start the Vitamin D supplements again. Research continues to strengthen the theory that this vitamin has been significantly underestimated over the years. Studies have consistently linked low levels of Vitamin D with breast, prostate, and colon cancer, heart disease, diabetes and numerous other autoimmune disorders. As physicians make Vitamin D level testing part of their routine testing, some are finding that almost 60% of their patients are low. The Daily Gleaner. 09/27/08. |
| Why Should Rheumatologists Consider Vitamin D Supplementation for their Patients? Given the low cost of vitamin D, its excellent tolerability, combined musculoskeletal- and suggested antiinflammatory/ cardio-vascular benefits, vitamin D supplementation holds a significant public health potential. IngentaConnect. Current Rheumatology Reviews, Vol 3, No 2, May 2007, pp. 129-134(6). (Also see: Rheumatoid Arthritis) |
