High Circulating Levels of Vitamin D Associated with Reduced MS Risk

Among U.S. military members, the risk for MS was reduced in those with higher levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

A role for vitamin D in immune-mediated diseases has been hypothesized and attributed to various potential mechanisms. Epidemiologic studies of residence latitude and multiple sclerosis (MS) risk, and of vitamin D supplementation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, support a potential role for vitamin D in MS. In this case-control study, researchers retrospectively assessed 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in serum samples stored in a military repository from 148 individuals who developed MS and from 296 controls without MS matched to cases by age, sex, race/ethnicity, date of blood sampling, and military branch.

The risk for MS decreased with increasing levels of vitamin D. The effect was most notable in those with the highest vitamin D…

Reviewing Author

Fred D. Lublin, MD