Vitamin D association with systemic sclerosis and its clinical features: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression
Dhaouadi T, Riahi A, Ben Abdallah T, Gorgi Y, Sfar I
Published in Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders
Methodology
Systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression (PROSPERO CRD42024565045) of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus for all papers published before 30 June 2024, pooling raw mean differences, odds ratios and Pearson correlations for vitamin D level and deficiency against systemic sclerosis susceptibility and clinical features, with subgroup analyses.
Key Findings
Pooled analysis found vitamin D levels significantly lower in people with systemic sclerosis than in healthy controls (raw mean difference -11.68 ng/mL, 95% CI -15.43 to -7.92, p < 1e-10). Vitamin D insufficiency (below 30 ng/mL) and deficiency (below 10 ng/mL) were strongly associated with the disease (odds ratios 3.58, 95% CI 2.59-4.95 and 7.67, 95% CI 3.97-14.83). Lower vitamin D was linked to interstitial lung disease (RMD -3.61, 95% CI -6.93 to -0.30, p = 0.003), higher systolic pulmonary artery pressure and a worse modified Rodnan skin score (r -0.26, 95% CI -0.44 to -0.08). Conversely, vitamin D was significantly higher in patients with cutaneous calcinosis (RMD 4.18, 95% CI 1.07-7.28, p = 0.008).
Conclusions
This meta-analysis showed that decreased Vitamin D level was associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis, interstitial lung disease occurrence, increased systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, and higher modified Rodnan skin score. Conversely, calcinosis was found to be associated with increased Vitamin D level.
Limitations
All the pooled data are observational, so this shows association only — low vitamin D may be a consequence of reduced sun exposure and illness rather than a cause — and no supplementation trial is included, so nothing here shows that raising vitamin D changes the course of the disease.
Supplements Studied
This meta-analysis showed that decreased Vitamin D level was associated with susceptibility to systemic sclerosis, interstitial lung disease occurrence, increased systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, and higher modified Rodnan skin score. Conversely, calcinosis was found to be associated with increased Vitamin D level.
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
Access Study
This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement regimen.