Work

Vitamin D Status in Rheumatology Patients with Inflammatory Compared with Non-Inflammatory Diagnoses: Inflammatory and Autoimmune Markers Are Not Associated with Vitamin D Levels

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D levels tend to be lower in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but there are minimal data on vitamin D levels in rheumatology patients with inflammatory vs. non-inflammatory diagnoses. METHODS: In this retrospective, observational study, we used electronic health record data from patients presenting for their first visit at a large rheumatology clinic to assess vitamin D levels and deficiency based on diagnosis, and to evaluate the association between vitamin D and inflammatory markers (including C-reactive protein [CRP]) or autoimmune markers (including rheumatoid factor [RF], anti-citrullinated peptide antibody, and anti-nuclear antibodies). Logistic regression analysis with 13 clinical variables was used to evaluate the association between vitamin D levels and IRD diagnosis, and linear regression was used to evaluate the association between vitamin D levels and CRP or RF. RESULTS: = 0.009), but the difference was not clinically relevant given the small effect size. Vitamin D deficiency rates (<20 ng/mL) were not significantly different between the subgroups, and vitamin D was not associated with an IRD diagnosis in logistic regression analysis. In linear regression analysis, vitamin D was not associated with CRP or RF in the full patient cohort or in the subgroup with RA (n = 539). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that vitamin D levels do not differ substantially based on IRD versus non-inflammatory diagnosis, CRP levels, or RF levels in this clinical cohort.

Source: Nutrients

DOI: 10.3390/nu18020326

Authors: Arne Schäfer, Magdolna Szilvia Kovacs, Axel Nigg, Martin Feuchtenberger

Institutions: German Diabetes Center Mergentheim, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg

Language: English

Topic: Vitamin D Research Studies

Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,499