People with Genetically Low Vitamin-D Levels have a Higher Risk of MS, Study Reports

A new study has linked genetically low vitamin D levels to an increased risk of multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the central nervous system. The experts hope that this finding can lead to better prevention methods and treatment options for people with or at risk of getting MS.

For this study, researchers from McGill University in Canada examined the relationship between MS and genetically low vitamin D levels in a large group of Europeans. They compared 14,498 people with MS to 24,091 people with the disease and discovered that people with genetically lower levels of vitamin D were two times more likely to be diagnosed with MS.

Many experts have commented on the recent findings.

"The results show that if a baby is born with genes associated with vitamin D deficiency they are twice as likely as other babies to develop MS as an adult. This could be because vitamin D deficiency causes MS or possibly because there are other complex genetic interactions," Benjamin Jacobs, director of Children's Service at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital in London, who was not involved with the study, said. "We do not yet know if giving healthy children and adults vitamin D will decrease their risk of developing MS, but clinical trials are being conducted now to study this."

"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," Dr. Susan Kohlhaas, from the MS Society, said. "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."

Immunologist Prof Danny Altmann, from Imperial College London, added, "Vitamin D is relatively cheap, safe and many of us would be all the healthier if we could achieve the serum levels that our ancient ancestors presumably acquired when roaming outdoors in temperate climates, unclothed and eating a diverse diet including oily fish. While it may be too much to expect therapeutic vitamin D to treat or reverse ongoing MS, this paper will add to the weight of argument for routine vitamin-D supplementation of foodstuffs as a broad, preventative, public health measure."

The study was published in the journal, PLoS Medicine.