Vitamin D Supplements Promising in Reducing Fatigue and Improving Immunological Factors in SLE: Study Reveals

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disorder marked by persistent inflammation and a range of clinical symptoms, with vitamin D deficiency proposed as a potential contributing factor. Alesandra Florescu, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova, ROU, and colleagues sought to assess the impact of vitamin D supplementation on fatigue and disease activity in individuals with SLE.

For this purpose, the researchers divided patients diagnosed according to the EULAR/ACR 2019 criteria into three groups: no supplementation, 4000 IU, and 8000 IU of vitamin D daily for six months. Clinical assessments were conducted to evaluate serum complement levels (C3 and C4), fatigue using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)-Fatigue and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and disease activity through the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment-Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI).

The study led to the following findings:

• Vitamin D levels and serum complement levels significantly increased in the supplementation groups.
• The 4000 IU and 8000 IU groups showed significant improvements in serum complement levels and fatigue scores.
• A slight reduction in SELENA-SLEDAI scores was observed in the treated groups, though it was not statistically significant.

In conclusion, the study aimed to assess the effects of vitamin D supplementation on fatigue and disease activity in individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The researchers found that daily doses of 4000 IU and 8000 IU of vitamin D significantly increased serum vitamin D and complement levels while reducing fatigue, as measured by FACIT-Fatigue and FSS scores. Although there was a slight decrease in disease activity (SELENA-SLEDAI) in the supplementation groups, this change was not statistically significant, and there were no significant differences in disease activity between the treated and untreated groups after six months.

"These results suggest that vitamin D supplementation can effectively reduce fatigue and improve certain immunological markers in SLE patients. However, further research is needed to evaluate its long-term impact on disease activity. We recommend considering vitamin D supplementation as part of SLE management, with future studies focusing on multicenter trials and long-term outcomes," the researchers wrote.

Reference:

Predescu O, Vreju F, Musetescu A, et al. (February 10, 2025) Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Fatigue and Disease Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Cureus 17(2): e78830. doi:10.7759/cureus.78830