Rheumatoid arthritis linked to sunshine vitamin deficiency

Researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, United States, established a significant relationship between vitamin D and the risk for rheumatoid arthritis by observing women living in north-eastern America, who were found to be more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Lead author of the study and Associate Professor of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health, U.S., Dr. Versnica Vieira, MS, DSC, discovered that females living in Vermont, southern Maine and New Hampshire in United States were at higher risk of being diagnosed with RA.

Details of study
The researchers said that there is a definitive link between the vitamin D deficiency and RA risk as they found that women living in more northern latitudes showed a higher prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis as they had lower levels of sunshine vitamin due to less exposure to sunlight.

For the study, scientists looked at the data collected from the Nurses' Health Study, observing the facts such as behavioral risk factors, health outcomes and residential addresses of subjects between 1988 and 2002.

They based their results on 461 women who had rheumatoid arthritis, as compared to a large control group of 9,220 females.

The authors wrote, "A geographic association with northern latitudes has also been observed for multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease, other autoimmune diseases that may be mediated by reduced vitamin D from decreased solar exposure and the immune effects of vitamin D deficiency."

The findings of the study will appear in the online journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Facts about Vitamin D
Vitamin D is produced in skin on exposure to the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in the sunlight. This vitamin is essential for bone health and may slow the progression of arthritis. It is found in fish like salmon, egg yolks and margarine.

Deficiency of Vitamin D can occur due to inadequate dietary intake of preformed vitamin D, malabsorption of vitamin D, or too little exposure to sunlight.

Medical studies have suggested that Vitamin D may also help with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

As little as 30 minutes of early morning or late afternoon sunlight on the face, hands and arms two or three times a week can supply the entire Vitamin D one needs.