Lack of Vitamin D Linked With Chronic Pain in Women

Low vitamin D levels may contribute to chronic pain among women, suggests research.

Low vitamin D levels may contribute to chronic pain among women, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The findings are based on the blood analyses and pain scores of almost 7000 45 year old men and women from across England, Scotland and Wales, all of whom were born during one week in March 1958.

Rickets
Encyclopedia section of medindia explains in brief about Rickets

Smokers, non-drinkers, the overweight and the underweight all reported higher rates of chronic pain.

The extent of chronic widespread pain did not vary among men according to vitamin D levels. However, this was not the case for women.

Women with vitamin D levels between 75 and 99 mmol/litre had the lowest rates of this type of pain, at just over 8%.

Calcium and Vitamin Supplements
Calcium and vitamin supplements are taken to provide the body with the ''required'' nutrients. Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. Vitamins are very important nutrients for the body.

Women with levels of less than 25 mmol/litre had the highest rates, at 14.4%.

There appeared to be a J shaped curve, with the prevalence of widespread pain at 10% or higher among those with vitamin D levels above 99 mmol/litre.

Sun Facts
Summer is a time for sunbathing . But care must be taken to protect oneself against the harmful effects of the sun.

The findings were not explained by gender differences in lifestyle or social factors, such as levels of physical activity and time spent outdoors, say the authors.

And at the age of 45, few of the women would have entered the menopause, a period during which bone mineral density falls as oestrogen levels dwindle.

Extra Dose of Vitamin D may Provide Relief to Chronic Pain
A new research report says that an extra dose of vitamin D may offer a better treatment option for people suffering from chronic pain.

But by way of possible explanations, the authors point to osteomalacia, a disease of extreme vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with isolated or generalised bone pain. The hormonally active form of vitamin D is also involved in the regulation of immune system responses.

Around one in 10 of the population suffers from chronic widespread pain at any one time, say the authors.

The causes are not fully understood, but social and psychological factors are known to affect the sensation and reporting of pain.

Source-BMJ
SRM