Vitamin D slows the progress of multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis: slower course thanks to vitamin D
Vitamin D may reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and slow the progression of damage to the nervous system. It appears that in the early stages of the disease, patients with adequate serum vitamin D levels may develop up to 57 percent fewer brain lesions than those with lower levels.
This was discovered by researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, USA. The study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, investigated the relationship between Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis in patients showing early symptoms of the disease.
Vitamin D deficiency and multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic degenerative disease that affects nerve fibers. In affected individuals, damage occurs to myelin, which is the sheath, consisting mostly of lipids, that surrounds the axons of neurons, protecting the nerves and speeding the transmission of nerve impulses.
Multiple sclerosis appears to be an autoimmune disease, that is, caused by the 'immune system's attack on components of one's own body, which is recognized as foreign. The disease is manifested by disturbances in muscle control, balance, and vision, and also impairs memory and thinking.
Epidemiological research has shown that the incidence of the disease is very low in sunny countries with high Vitamin D consumption. In fact, several studies have confirmed a link between low levels of the Vitamin and the onset of multiple sclerosis.
Vitamin D is also named the sunshine vitamin; in addition to being contained in many foods, it can be synthesized in the human body from a precursor by the action of sunlight. The vitamin plays an important role in bone growth and development, and in the functioning of the immune system.
High levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol mitigate the symptoms of the disease
The study involved 465 multiple sclerosis patients participating in a trial that aimed to compare the effectiveness of early, versus late, treatment of interferon beta-1b, a drug commonly used to treat the disease. In each patient, the serum level of vitamin D, in the form of its metabolite 25(OH)D (25-hydroxycholecalciferol), was measured before the start of the study, and at follow-up after 6, 12 and 24 months of treatment.
The progress of the disease in each person was then evaluated, also taking into account the relapses and disabilities they were manifesting. Analyzing the results, the researchers found that patients with early-stage multiple sclerosis with adequate Vitamin D levels showed a 57 percent lower rate of developing new brain lesions and a 57 percent lower rate of relapse, compared with those with low Vitamin D levels.
High concentrations of the molecule were associated with a 0.41 percent annual reduction in brain volume loss, an important marker of disability, and a reduction in brain lesion volume.
Additive effect to that of interferon
Researchers have concluded that vitamin D levels in the blood correlate with disease progression and symptoms. In particular, it appears that the benefits of vitamin D are additive to those of interferon beta-1b, and that it has a strong protective effect on the processes underlying multiple sclerosis .
These findings underscore the importance of correcting vitamin D insufficiency, which is widespread in Europe and the United States.
Source: Ascherio A, Munger KL, White R. et al. "Vitamin D as an Early Predictor of Multiple Sclerosis Activity and Progression." JAMA Neurol. 2014 Jan 20. doi: 10.1001/ jamaneurol.2013.5993
