Patients with lupus are more likely to have metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance – both factors linked to heart disease – if they have lower vitamin D levels, a new study reveals.
Researchers believe that increasing vitamin D levels could improve control of these cardiovascular risk factors, as well as improve long-term outcomes for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Since photosensitivity is a key feature of SLE, the scientists say a combination of avoiding the sun, using high-factor sunblock and living in more northerly countries could contribute to lower rates. of vitamin D in lupus patients. Patients with more severe disease also had lower vitamin D levels.
An international research team, led by experts at the University of Birmingham and the University of Manchester, studied vitamin D levels in 1,163 SLE patients across 33 centers in 11 countries (UK, USA, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden (Iceland, Switzerland, Turkey, South Korea and Mexico), publishes its results in Rheumatology.
Our findings suggest that concomitant physiological anomalies may contribute to long-term cardiovascular risk early in SLE.
We found an association between lower levels of vitamin D and metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Further studies could determine whether restoring vitamin D levels helps reduce these cardiovascular risk factors and improve the quality of life for patients with lupus. “
Dr John A Reynolds, Co-author of the report, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Rheumatology, University of Birmingham
Lupus is an uncommon immune system disorder, more common in women, where the immune system is inactive, causing inflammation anywhere in the body. Untreated, the condition threatens unsustainable damage to major organs including kidneys, heart, lungs and brain.
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure (hip-tolerance), excessive cholesterol levels, and obesity. People with metabolic syndrome are at an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke and other conditions that affect the blood vessels.
The researchers note that patients with SLE have an increased cardiovascular risk, up to 50 times that seen in unconditional people – this cannot be ruled out due to traditional cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure. or smoking, alone.
The mechanisms underlying the link between high blood pressure and low vitamin D in SLE are unclear, but researchers believe they may be linked to the effects of vitamin D deficiency on the body. renin-angiotensin hormone system, which regulates blood pressure, fluid and electrolyte balance, as well as systemic viral resistance.
“This is the largest study ever examining links between vitamin D levels and metabolic syndrome in SLE; it also has the advantage of being an international group with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds – the generating results that are relevant across multiple contexts, “said Dr Reynolds.