In an article in the Hellenic Journal of Nuclear Medicine (Sept-Dec 2015) researchers studied the role of Vitamin D in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), an autoimmune disorder responsible for most cases of hypothyroidism.
In the 218 patients with HT participating in this study 85.3 percent had levels of 25 OH vitamin D less than 30 ng/ml indicating vitamin D deficiency. Patients with low levels of vitamin D were also found to have higher levels of thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies, which are markers of thyroid inflammation.
Patients with vitamin D deficiency were treated with vitamin D3 supplements of 1,200-4,000 IU daily for four months. This resulted in a 20.3 percent decrease in TPO antibodies by the end of the study.
Patients with autoimmune diseases are known to commonly have low levels of vitamin D, which is thought to be a risk factor. Optimal levels of vitamin D in autoimmune disease are 80 ng/ml. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of vitamin D supplementation in patients with other autoimmune disorders.
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