Association of Vitamin D with Severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: Low levels of serum vitamin D is associated with increased risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis, though this finding is controversial. Objective: Study was designed to find out the association of vitamin D with severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Settings: Government Hospital Kot Khawaja Saeed, Lahore Pakistan. Duration: June 2017 to June 2018. Methods: 60 patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (age range 16 to 60 years fulfils the criteria of 2010 Rheumatoid arthritis classification. Patients/controls were comprised as group 1(20 patients with mild arthritis), group 2(20 patients with moderate form of arthritis) and group 3 (20 age, sex matched healthy controls). Results: Mean age of patients was 36 to 37 years. Most of the patients belong to middle class and professional whereas majority of women were house wives with average health status with normal pulse rate and blood pressure. Clinical variables of patients showed the small joint involvement, swelling, tenderness with moderate to severity of disease. By using One-way ANOVAs, it is observed that the level of vitamin D was significantly low in group of patients presented with severe form of arthritis as compared to group of patients who has mild to moderate arthritis. Study also observed that both group of patients with RA has significantly low levels of vitamin D as compared to age matched controls. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency may be one of the reasons to develop or worse the disease.