Interdependence and contributions of sun exposure and vitamin D to MRI measures in multiple sclerosis.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2013 Feb 5.
Zivadinov R, Treu CN, Weinstock-Guttman B, Turner C, Bergsland N, O'Connor K, Dwyer MG, Carl E, Ramasamy DP, Qu J, Ramanathan M.
Department of Neurology, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, State University of New York, , Buffalo, New York, USA.
PURPOSE: To assess the relationships of sun exposure history, supplementation and environmental factors to vitamin D levels in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to evaluate the associations between sun exposure and MRI measures.
METHODS: This study included 264 MS patients (mean age 46.9±10 years, disease duration 14.6±10 years; 67.8% relapsing-remitting, 28% secondary progressive and 4.2% primary progressive MS) and 69 healthy controls. Subjects underwent neurological and 3 T MRI examinations, provided blood samples and answered questions to a structured questionnaire. Information on race, skin and eye colour, supplement use, body mass index (BMI) and sun exposure was obtained by questionnaire. The vitamin D metabolites (25-hydroxy vitamin D3, 1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 and 24, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3) were measured using mass spectrometry.
RESULTS:
- Multivitamin supplementation (partial correlation r(p)=0.29, p<0.001),
- BMI (r(p)=-0.24, p=0.001),
- summer sun exposure (r(p)=0.22, p=0.002) and
- darker eye colour (r(p)=-0.18, p=0.015)
had the strongest associations with vitamin D metabolite levels in the MS group.
Increased summer sun exposure was associated with
- increased grey matter volume (GMV, r(p)=0.16, p=0.019) and
- whole brain volume (WBV, r(p)=0.20, p=0.004)
after correcting for Extended Disability Status Scale in the MS group.
Inclusion of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 levels did not substantially affect the positive associations of sun exposure with
- WBV (r(p)=0.18, p=0.003) and
- GMV (r(p)=0.14, p=0.026) in the MS group.
CONCLUSIONS: Sun exposure may have direct effects on MRI measures of neurodegeneration in MS, independently of vitamin D.
PMID: 23385850
Comment by VitaminDWiki
This agrees with many previous studies which indicate that net UV may be more important than vitamin D.
However, notice that this study compares measured vitamin D levels with recalled amount of time out in the sun (for how many years)
Rather inprecise
See also VitaminDWiki
- Vitamin D prevents multiple sclerosis through multiple mechanisms – Jan 2013
- Risk of going from pre-MS to MS reduced 68 percent with 7100 IU vitamin D – RCT Dec 2012
- Vitamin D can both prevent and treat Multiple Sclerosis – review Nov 2012
- MS helped by average daily 2800 IU vitamin D – RCT Aug 2012
- Clinical trials for MS and Vitamin D INTERVENTION 21 as of March 2013
- Overview MS and vitamin D - which had the following
Controversy: Which is better: UV or Vitamin D
- Sources of UV, in addition to the sun, include your own UV bulb
- MS 20X more correlated to UV than other variables – Jan 2011
- Lack of UV increased offspring MS – April 2010
- Increased sun and vitamin D both reduced MS risk – March 2011
- 30% less likely to get MS for UV increase of 1000 kJ/m2
- Latitude is significantly associated with the prevalence of multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis Oct 2011
Meta-analysis of >300 studies of MS and latitude - UV suppresses MS but vitamin D might not – March 2010
- 7% less likely to get MS for each 4 ng increase in vitamin D level in blood
- MS prevention by UV is 2X better than prevention by vitamin D levels – Jan 2012
- Did sunshine help Ann Romney’s multiple sclerosis? Vitamin D Council Aug 2012
1999 MS Diagnosis ==> Conventional Therapy, Yoga, reflexology, and taking up riding horses out-doors ==> 2001 MS in remission
MS flareup in Spring 2012 Reminder - lowest vitamin D levels occur in the Spring - Less MS (MRI) decline after raising Vitamin D levels – clinical trial Oct 2012
See also web
- Exceptionally important findings on Sunlight Exposure, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Brain Volume, Independent of Vitamin D SunlightInstutute Report on this study