TUESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D supplementation does not appear to slow the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee or improve symptoms associated with the condition, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, held from Nov. 7 to 11 in Atlanta.
In a two-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Timothy E. McAlindon, M.D., of Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues randomized 146 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee to vitamin D supplementation or placebo. Vitamin D supplementation was initiated at a dose of 2,000 IU daily and increased as necessary over the course of treatment to achieve a vitamin D level higher than 30 ng/mL. Physical function tests and X-rays were performed at the start of the study and at 12 months.
The investigators found that mean serum vitamin D levels increased by 15.0 ng/mL in the vitamin D group compared to 1.8 ng/mL in the placebo group. However, there were no significant or substantial differences between the groups in any of the outcome measures.
"Vitamin D supplementation at a dose sufficient to elevate serum levels above 30 ng/mL does not appear to have any symptom or structure-modifying benefits for knee osteoarthritis," the authors conclude.
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