Lee Swanson Research Update

Vitamin D Could Lower Arthritis Risk

May 2004

Arthritis

You won't have to go very far in your circle of family and friends before you find someone who has rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is a major disease that has its grip on millions of Americans. Any time research casts a ray of light on a new development that may ease the pain or the risk, we should take notice.

The latest ray of light shines on a person's intake of vitamin D and what affect that has on developing RA. Researchers, following an in-depth analysis of the Iowa Women's Health Study, concluded that "greater intake of vitamin D may be associated with a lower risk of RA in older women."

Researchers said that while "vitamin D is a potent regulator of calcium homeostasis and may have immunomodulatory effects, the influence of vitamin D on human autoimmune disease has not been well defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake with RA incidence."

Food frequency questionnaires that had been filled out during the Iowa Women's Health Study were used to evaluate both dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake of 29,368 women aged 55 to 69 years. All subjects were free of RA at the beginning of the study.

During the 11-year follow-up period, 152 subjects developed RA. Inverse associations were found for both dietary and supplemental vitamin D and RA risk. Subjects in the highest category of vitamin D intake had a 33% lower risk of developing RA compared to those in the lowest intake category, giving a strong indication of the benefits of vitamin D supplementation.

Arthritis & Rheumatism50(1):72-77, 2004

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