Vitamin D supplements increase BMD and hand grip in patients with sickle cell disease: Study

A new study by Diana Hanna and team unveiled that in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients monthly oral high-dose vitamin D administration was safe and helpful in increasing the bone mineral density (BMD) scores, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), hand grip strength (HGS) and vitamin D levels. The findings of this study were published in the European Journal of Pediatrics.

Vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and persistent hemolytic anemia are two inherited symptoms of sickle cell disease. There are reports of musculoskeletal impairment in SCD patients and poorer disease outcomes have been associated with a high frequency of vitamin D insufficiency and poor bone mineral density in SCD patients. Thus, this study assessed the effects of monthly high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation on BMD, HGS, and HRQL in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and healthy controls.

42 SCD youngsters and 42 healthy matched controls participated in the research. Monthly high-dose oral vitamin D3 supplements were given to the trial participants. The functional ability was evaluated using the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) and the HRQoL questionnaire, and changes in the blood levels of 25(OH) vitamin D3, maximal HGS, and BMD were measured from baseline to six months.

The results found SCD individuals to exhibit lower growth status at baseline throught negative Z scores. Suboptimal BMD was identified with a substantially lower Z score, poorer HGS, and worse HRQL indicators when compared to the controls. SCD patients had substantially decreased median 25(OH) vitamin D3 levels than the controls. The vitamin D supplementation improved DEXA Z-score, physical health limitations, pain ratings and CHAQ grades in SCD patients. The SCD group showed substantial improvements in HGS and CHAQ score compared to the controls.

Throughout the trial, there were no documented clinical adverse events (AEs) or new concomitant medicines (CMs), and both groups had safe levels of Ca and 25 (OH) D3 at 3 and 6 months.There was a strong positive link between HGS and overall physical score, but a negative correlation with CHAQ score. The study also found a substantial positive link between 6-month vitamin D levels and pain score, HGS and a negative correlation with CHAQ score. Overall, monthly oral high-dose vitamin D therapy was safe and effective in increasing BMD, HRQoL, hand grip, HGS, and vitamin D levels not just in SCD patients but also in healthy individuals.

Reference:

Hanna, D., Kamal, D. E., Fawzy, H. M., & Abd Elkhalek, R. (2024). Safety and efficacy of monthly high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease. In European Journal of Pediatrics. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-024-05572-w