Important health research published in nutrition journal We found no evidence to support an association between vitamin D levels or supplement use and low back pain (LBP). Vitamin D deficiency is characterized by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 30 nmol/L. This is a worldwide concern known for its potential to affect bone health and muscle function. However, its association with LBP, the most common musculoskeletal disease causing disability worldwide, remains unclear.
This recent comprehensive study from the UK Biobank Cohort involved a total of 135,934 participants, providing a robust dataset for this study. This allowed us to examine both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations. A model adjusting for age and sex suggested a possible association between vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D supplementation (VDS) use and his LBP. However, these associations were attenuated after adjusting for a variety of potential confounders, including lifestyle, comorbidities, and socioeconomic status.
Approximately 21.6% of participants were found to be vitamin D deficient, but only 4% reported using VDS regularly. Over a median follow-up of 8.5 years, 3.8% of the group reported experiencing LBP at study entry, and an additional 3.3% were diagnosed during follow-up. Longitudinal analysis revealed that, contrary to initial assumptions, neither vitamin D deficiency nor VDS use was associated with an increased risk of developing LBP.
These findings are important because they challenge existing theories suggesting a potential therapeutic role for vitamin D in the prevention or management of LBP. The results of this study highlighted the multifactorial nature of LBP, which can be influenced by factors such as lifestyle, psychosocial issues, and genetics. This highlights that vitamin D status alone is unlikely to have a significant impact on her LBP risk.
This study benefits from the large sample size and detailed data available from the UK Biobank and provides strong evidence for the important role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of LBP. Overall, this comprehensive study does not support the hypothesis that vitamin D status or supplementation plays an important role in the development or prevention of her LBP. These findings prompt a reevaluation of the purported benefits of vitamin D beyond bone health and highlight the importance of focusing on the multifactorial causes of LBP in both research and clinical practice.
reference:
Sha, S., Chen, L.-J., Brenner, H., and Schöttker, B. (2024). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status and vitamin D supplement use were not associated with low back pain in a large UK biobank cohort. Nutrients (Vol. 16, Issue 6, p. 806). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060806
