The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Vitamin D in Rheumatology: Cause and Effect Unclear

Vitamin D in Rheumatology: Cause and Effect Unclear

September 15, 2015 • By Vanessa Caceres

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF
Vitamin D plays a role in bone health and the possible development of osteoporosis and other bone conditions.

Vitamin D plays a role in bone health and the possible development of osteoporosis and other bone conditions.
Image Credit: Zerbor/shutterstock.com

The controversy over vitamin D is hearty enough to confuse even seasoned rheumatologists, says Nathan Wei, MD, The Arthritis Treatment Center, Frederick, Md.

You Might Also Like
  • Taking Vitamin D Supplements May Not Improve Bone Health
  • Vitamin D, Calcium Supplements May Not Lower Fracture Risk
  • Improve RA Care with Vitamin D
Explore This Issue
September 2015
Also By This Author
  • New Options for Patients with Concurrent Dry Eye & Rheumatic Disease

“It’s like what you hear with coffee. One week, [a study finds] coffee is … good for you; the next week, there’s a study saying it’s bad for you,” he says.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Vitamin D appears to be in the same conundrum right now in rheumatology. Although there’s the general thought that optimal levels can be beneficial for patients, it’s not always clear how much is needed, how much vitamin D contributes to disease development, and whether D has any protective factor against rheumatic disease.

What’s certain is testing for vitamin D levels is popular right now, says Stuart D. Kaplan, MD, chief of rheumatology at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y. When he started to practice rheumatology in 1989, he says checking vitamin D levels was not even on the radar screen.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

As the specialty’s knowledge of rheumatic disease has increased, there’s a general thought that vitamin D may help combat osteoporosis and reduce the risk for falls, says Linda A. Russell, MD, assistant attending physician, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York.

The current enthusiasm for Vitamin D stems, in part, from the public’s interest in finding more “natural” ways to prevent and treat disease that do not involve conventional medications, says Sharon L. Kolasinski, MD, Division of Rheumatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

What We Know about Vitamin D

There’s a multitude of ongoing research related to vitamin D right now, and while some questions remain unanswered, what’s clear is that a deficiency is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer, says Amber Toyer, community outreach manager at the nonprofit Vitamin D Council in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “Researchers are discovering that vitamin D deficiency can make some diseases more severe. Researchers are also discovering that vitamin D can be an important piece in the treatment of some illnesses and diseases,” she says. There’s a substantial amount of evidence that shows the importance of vitamin D in preventing breast, colorectal and prostate cancer, and there’s also a good deal of research showing a relationship between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis, Ms. Toyer adds.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Within rheumatology, it’s clear from the research that vitamin D plays a role in bone health and the possible development of osteoporosis and other bone conditions, Ms. Toyer says.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions Tagged With: Clinical, Osteoporosis, Outcomes, patient care, rheumatology, Treatment, Vitamin DIssue: September 2015

You Might Also Like:
  • Taking Vitamin D Supplements May Not Improve Bone Health
  • Vitamin D, Calcium Supplements May Not Lower Fracture Risk
  • Improve RA Care with Vitamin D
  • Vitamin D May Improve Outcomes for Patients with Early RA

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)