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Published:
Apr 12, 2023DOI:
10.4314/ahs.v23i1.84Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Vitamin D deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis patients of India – a single-arm meta-analysis
Abstract
Background: Vitamin D deficiency is commonly seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Objectives: This meta-analysis is aimed to determine the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in RA patients in India and also to evaluate the association between vitamin D level and disease activity.
Methods: The relevant works of literature were identified through multiple databases and data was extracted from eligible studies independently. A single-arm meta-analysis was performed to estimate the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in RA patients in an Indian setup and its association with disease activity. A total of 15 studies was included in the analyses.
Results: The mean serum vitamin D level was 19.99 ng/ml [95% CI 16.49-24.23]. The proportion of patients with low vitamin D level was 0.80 [95% CI 0.65- 0.90], Vitamin D deficiency was 0.56 [95% CI 0.31-0.77] and vitamin D insufficiency was 0.20 [95% CI 0.12- 0.32]. A negative relationship was seen with serum vitamin D and disease activity score.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate significant low levels of serum vitamin D levels in patients with RA and established a negative correlation of Vitamin D with RA disease activity. The current evidence suggests a rationale for Vitamin D supplementation in the management of RA.
Keywords: Vitamin D level; disease activity score; Vitamin D supplementation; Vitamin D insufficiency.
