Low levels of vitamin D may cause multiple sclerosis

A lack of vitamin D could increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study has found.

The research published in the journal, Public Library of Science (PLOS) has found a direct relationship between decreased levels of vitamin D and the risk of developing MS.

A potential link been vitamin D levels and the risks associated with developing MS has been an active area for research scientists for several years. The latest research, carrying out a Mendelian Randomisation (MR) study to establish if genetically lowered vitamin D levels increased or influenced the risk of MS occurring.

Head of Biomedical Research at the MS Society, Dr Susan Kohlhaas, commented: “More than 100,000 people are affected by multiple sclerosis in the UK so the potential link between vitamin D and the risk of developing MS is an incredibly crucial area of research. There are many unanswered questions around what causes MS so this large scale study is an exciting step towards understanding more about the complex nature of the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to it.”

Earlier this month, Government experts proposed vitamin D supplements to treat low levels of vitamin D in the most at risk groups, including pregnant women, under-fives and over 65s to prevent deficiency.

The plans are under consultation until 23 September and follows previous advice by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), calling for free supplements to be made available or for supermarkets to sell low-cost tablets.

Current figures estimate one in five adults and one in six children to have low levels of vitamin D, whereby deficiencies can lead to rickets and brittle bones.

Dr Kohlhaas added: “There are Government guidelines around how much vitamin D people should take, and taking too much can lead to side effects so we’d encourage people to talk to their health professional if they’re thinking of doing this. We’d also welcome more research into this area, as we know it’s really important to people living with MS.”

The study, led by researchers at McGill University in Canada, makes a causal link between the biological connection between vitamin D levels and MS, suggesting people who genetically have low levels of vitamin D levels are more likely to develop MS.

Researchers studied data from two large studies, the first was a European study of 34,000 people’s genes associated with being deficient in vitamin D. The second study was the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium Immunochip study, thought to be the largest international genetic study MS, involving nearly 15,000 people with MS.

During the study, researchers discovered four genetic variants, associated with vitamin D levels and analysed these to see if they are common in people with MS. The results revealed that people carrying these variants, had lower levels of Vitamin D as a result of their genetics and therefore were considered to be at an increased risk of developing MS.

Although the findings reveal the importance of vitamin D levels in people with MS, the study doesn’t reveal whether supplements could reduce the chance of developing MS, or if increased levels of vitamin D could affect MS after being diagnosed.