�Low vitamin D levels may lead to inveterate pain among women, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The findings are based on the blood analyses and pain scores of almost 7000 45 year old workforce and women from across England, Scotland and Wales, all of whom were born during one week in March 1958.
Smokers, non-drinkers, the overweight and the skinny all reported higher rates of chronic pain.
The extent of chronic widespread pain did not vary among work force according to vitamin D levels. However, this was not the case for women.
Women with vitamin D levels between 75 and 99 mmol/litre had the last-place rates of this type of pain, at precisely over 8%.
Women with levels of less than 25 mmol/litre had the highest rates, at 14.4%.
There appeared to be a J shaped curve, with the prevalence of widespread pain in the neck at 10% or higher among those with vitamin D levels above 99 mmol/litre.
The findings were not explained by grammatical gender differences in lifestyle or social factors, such as levels of physical activity and time spent outdoors, say the authors.
And at the age of 45, few of the women would have entered the climacteric, a period during which bone mineral density falls as estrogen levels dwindle.
But by way of possible explanations, the authors point to osteomalacia, a disease of extreme vitamin D want, which is associated with isolated or generalised pearl pain. The hormonally active form of vitamin D is as well involved in the regulation of immune system responses.
Around i in 10 of the population suffers from continuing widespread pain at whatsoever one metre, say the authors.
The causes are not to the full understood, just social and psychological factors are known to affect the superstar and reportage of hurting.
Vitamin D and inveterate widespread pain in a white middle aged British population: evidence from a cross sectional population study
Online First AnnRheum Dis2008 doI: 10.1136/ard/2008.090456
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Annals of The Rheumatic Rheumatic Diseases
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (ARD) is an outside peer review journal committed to promoting the highest standards of scientific exchange and breeding. It covers all aspects of rheumatology, which includes the spectrum of musculoskeletal conditions, arthritic disease, and connective tissue disorders. ARD publishes canonic, clinical, and translational scientific research. Concise scientific communication is encouraged and peer reviewed legal proceeding of international meetings are featured. Educational papers let in state of the art reviews, "how to" articles and educational cases that focus on problems faced in clinical practice. The journal was first promulgated in 1939 and has an authorative global Editorial Board and a growing international readership.
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