title: The role of vitamin D supplementation in patients with rheumatic diseases.
abstract: Vitamin D is a dietary vitamin that can also be synthesized in adequate amounts from cholesterol in most mammals exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D has classical roles in calcium and phosphate metabolism, and thus the skeleton; however, this molecule also has nonclassical effects that might influence the function of the immune, cardiovascular and endocrine systems. Vitamin D deficiency, due to insufficient sunlight exposure, dietary uptake and/or abnormalities in its metabolism, has been associated with rheumatic diseases, and both the classical and nonclassical effects of vitamin D might be of relevance to patients with rheumatic disease. However, conclusive data from intervention trials demonstrating the relationship between vitamin D levels and pathogenetic processes separate from classical effects of this molecule are lacking. Furthermore, the majority of studies linking vitamin D to health outcomes, harmful or beneficial, are observational in nature, linking clinical events to vitamin D exposure or serum levels of vitamin D metabolites. Evidence from high quality, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials should be obtained before vitamin D supplementation is recommended in the treatment of the many rheumatic conditions in which deficiency of this compound has been implicated. Herein, we review the evidence for vitamin D supplementation in the management of patients with rheumatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine F, Gentofte Hospital, Niels Andersensvej 65, Copenhagen, DK-2900 Hellerup, Denmark. b.abrahamsen@ physician.dk
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abrahamsen
authors.forename: Nicholas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D019468:Disease Management; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D