Vitamin D is effective against multiple sclerosis

The disease often begins with inflammatory processes in the central nervous system. Patients may present with optic neuritis, spinal cord lesions, or brainstem disorders. Such symptoms are lumped together under the term clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). However, it does not develop into multiple sclerosis in everyone.

The likelihood of CIS becoming a full-blown disease depends on a number of factors. These include changes in the composition of cerebrospinal fluid, a large number of foci of lesions in the brain on MRI and the young age of the patient.

Previously, the connection between vitamin D deficiency and this disease has already been studied, but there were no unequivocal conclusions. French specialists decided to test whether this vitamin alone, without additional drugs, can affect the course of the disease.

During the experiment, scientists observed 316 patients aged 18 to 55 years. All of them faced the first episode of the disease no more than three months before the study and had low levels of vitamin D in the blood.

The subjects were divided into two groups. One took 100,000 IU of cholecalciferol (a form of vitamin D) every two weeks, while the others took a placebo. For two years, doctors recorded the frequency of exacerbations of the disease and the appearance of new foci on MRI.

The results were impressive. In the group that received vitamin D, the disease progressed more slowly:

• The first signs of disease activity appeared after an average of 432 days, whereas in the patients who took placebo – after 224 days.
• The likelihood of new inflammatory foci on MRI was 30-50% lower.
• The number of patients with severe brain lesions also decreased.

High doses of vitamin D may become an affordable and safe therapy option, especially in regions where standard drugs are difficult to obtain. This supports the need for further research, including exploring possible combination treatment with other modalities.

Vitamin D was previously thought to be only an additional support in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Now, however, it may have a more important place in therapy in the early stages of the disease.