SynthesisNeuroepidemiology2013
A systematic review of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials examining the clinical efficacy of vitamin D in multiple sclerosis.
Synthesis in Neuroepidemiology, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.
- Vitamin D Supplementation and its Effect on Relapse Frequency and MRI Activity in Adults With Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review.Brain and behavior · 2026Pooled it
- Role of Vitamin D in Preventing and Treating Selected Extraskeletal Diseases-An Umbrella Review.Nutrients · 2020Pooled it
- Vitamin D for the management of multiple sclerosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Guideline
- Cholecalciferol in relapsing-remitting MS: A randomized clinical trial (CHOLINE).Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation · 2019Trial
- Vitamin D supplementation and systemic inflammation in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.Journal of neurology · 2015Trial
- Review
- Anti-inflammatory and Neuroprotective Agents in Clinical Trials for CNS Disease and Injury: Where Do We Go From Here?Frontiers in immunology · 2020Review
- The Evidence for Dietary Interventions and Nutritional Supplements as Treatment Options in Multiple Sclerosis: a Review.Current treatment options in neurology · 2018Review
- Latitude, Vitamin D, Melatonin, and Gut Microbiota Act in Concert to Initiate Multiple Sclerosis: A New Mechanistic Pathway.Frontiers in immunology · 2018Review
- Metabolic pathways as possible therapeutic targets for progressive multiple sclerosis.Neural regeneration research · 2017Review
- Impact of season and different vitamin D thresholds on prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in epidemiological cohorts-a note of caution.Endocrine · 2017Article
- Association of vitamin D status and clinical and radiological outcomes in a treated MS population in Poland.Brain and behavior · 2017Article
- Narrowband UVB Phototherapy for Clinically Isolated Syndrome: A Trial to Deliver the Benefits of Vitamin D and Other UVB-Induced Molecules.Frontiers in immunology · 2017Article
- Vitamin D: A Narrative Review Examining the Evidence for Ten Beliefs.Journal of general internal medicine · 2016Review
- Vitamin D and Diabetic Complications: True or False Prophet?Diabetes therapy : research, treatment and education of diabetes and related disorders · 2016Review
- Evidence for the Importance of Vitamin D Status in Neurologic Conditions.Current treatment options in neurology · 2015Article
- The gut microbiome in multiple sclerosis.Current treatment options in neurology · 2015Article
- Complementary and alternative medicine in multiple sclerosis: Payment policy perspectives.Neurology. Clinical practice · 2015Article
- Molecular mechanism underlying the impact of vitamin D on disease activity of MS.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAn association between multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence as well as MS mortality and vitamin D nutrition has led to the hypothesis that high levels of vitamin D could be beneficial for MS. The purpose of this systematic review is to establish whether there is evidence for or against vitamin D in the treatment of MS.
methodsSystematic literature searches were performed to locate randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials measuring the clinical effect of vitamin D on MS in human participants. Data were extracted in a standardized manner, and methodological quality was assessed by the Jadad score.
resultsFive trials were located that met the selection criteria. Of the 5 trials, 4 showed no effect of vitamin D on any outcome, and 1 showed a significant effect, namely by a reduction in the number of T1 enhancing lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging. Three studies commented on adverse effects of vitamin D, with gastrointestinal adverse effects being the most frequently reported. The literature is limited by small study sizes (ranging from 23 to 68 patients), heterogeneity of dosing, form of vitamin D tested (vitamin D3 in 4 trials and vitamin D2 in 1) and clinical outcome measures. Therefore, a meta-analysis was not performed.
conclusionsThe evidence for vitamin D as a treatment for MS is inconclusive. Larger studies are warranted to assess the effect of vitamin D on clinical outcomes in patients with MS. We further encourage researchers to also test the effect of vitamin D on the health-related quality of life experienced by patients and their families.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.