Rheumatic Diseases (Arthritis, Lupus, SS, Fibro) and Vitamin D - April 2025

---

Vitamin D and Its Role in Rheumatic Diseases

Metabolites Volume 15 Issue 4 10.3390/metabo15040259
by Maritza Vidal 1,*ORCID and Nancy E. Lane 2
1 Centro de Diagnóstico de Osteoporosis y Enfermedades Reumáticas (CEDOR), Lima 15036, Peru
2 Center for Musculoskeletal Health, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA

Table of Contents

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble molecule with pleiotropic effects, acting as a steroid hormone on three main organs: the intestine, bone, and kidney. Among its best-known functions at the skeletal level are regulating bone metabolism and mineralization. In 1983, the presence of vitamin D receptors on the surface of immune cells was described, which led to the discovery of new functions on immunological and inflammatory processes. Currently, we know that vitamin D modulates the adaptative immune system by suppressing cells that produce inflammatory cytokines by downregulation, acting as an important regulator of immunity and the inflammatory response. In this article, we will review the synthesis, metabolic pathways, and the role of vitamin D in rheumatic autoimmune diseases.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

VitaminDWiki – Rheumatoid Arthritis category contains

120 RA items     See also Overview Rheumatoid Arthritis   Autoimmune  Inflammation   Pain - Chronic

    Highlights of RA studies in VitaminDWiki
RA worse if low Vitamin D

• Rheumatoid Arthritis score extrapolates to zero at 51 ng of Vitamin D (India) – June 2024
• Rheumatoid Arthritis is more severe if low vitamin D – July 2023
• Rheumatoid arthritis pain was 5.8 X more likely if low vitamin D – Aug 2017
• Adaptive and innate immune system, vitamin D genes, and Rheumatoid Arthritis – June 2019
• Rheumatoid Arthritis strongly associated with low vitamin D – meta-analysis April 2016
• Rheumatoid Arthritis associated with lower vitamin D and higher latitude – meta-analysis Jan 2016

10 RA and Vitamin D Receptor (auto-updated)

RA Treated by Vitamin D

• Several rheumatic diseases treated by high-dose vitamin D, but made worse if Calcium was added – April 2022
• Rheumatic Diseases often treated by Vitamin D, may need 40-60 ng – Oct 2021
• Rheumatoid Arthritis pain reduced by monthly 100,000 IU of Vitamin D – Oct 2018
• Rheumatoid arthritis reduced by 440,000 IU of Vitamin D over 4 months – Oct 2015
• Connective tissue disorders (Lupus, RA, etc) treated by vitamin D – May 2016
• 43 percent of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients have Vitamin D prescriptions (15 countries) – June 2017
• Big increase in vitamin D supplementation in just 2 years after Swiss rheumatology report – Dec 2013
• High dose vitamin reduced pain of fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis - July 2015
  • Note: Vitamin D receptor problems (such as RA) are best treated by infrequent large doses of Vitamin D

---

VitaminDWiki – Lupus category contains

80 items in LUPUS category

Some of the studies in VitaminDWiki

• Every aspect of Lupus is associated with low viramin D – Oct 2021
• It is time to routinely give vitamin D to Lupus patients – Dec 2016
• 93 pcnt of these Lupus patients supplemented with Vitamin D - Nov 2020
• Lupus patients are 5 X more likely to have low vitamin D – many meta-analyses
• Lupus fought by Vitamin D in all trials longer than 12 weeks - review Sept 2017

See also Autoimmune: 206 items    Rheumatoid Arthritis: 120 items

Autoimmune disease, mainly in 50 per 100,000 women, no cure, many parts of body Wikipedia

---

VitaminDWiki – Overview Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue and vitamin D

---

VitaminDWiki – Low Vitamin D strongly associated with Systemic Sclerosis - many studies