The Role of Vitamin D in Disease Progression in Early Parkinson’s Disease

• Published in: Journal of Parkinson's disease Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 669 - 675
• Main Authors: Sleeman, Isobel, Aspray, Terry, Lawson, Rachael, Coleman, Shirley, Duncan, Gordon, Khoo, Tien K., Schoenmakers, Inez, Rochester, Lynn, Burn, David, Yarnall, Alison
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2017; IOS Press BV; IOS Press
• Subjects: Accidental Falls - statistics & numerical data; Age; Aged; Chromatography, Liquid; Cognition Disorders - blood; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Cognitive ability; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Progression; Dopamine receptors; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Movement disorders; Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson Disease - blood; Parkinson Disease - complications; Parkinson's disease; Research Report; Severity of Illness Index; Statistics, Nonparametric; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - complications; Vitamin deficiency; cognition; fall; vitamin D; disease progression; 25-hydroxy vitamin D; Balance; Parkinson’s disease
• ISSN: 1877-7171; 1877-718X
• DOI: 10.3233/JPD-171122

Background: Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients have lower serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations than controls. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased disease severity and cognitive impairment in prevalent PD patients. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine 25(OH)D in newly diagnosed PD and age-matched controls and to assess if there was an association with clinical outcomes (disease severity, cognition and falls) over the 36-month follow up period. Methods: A prospective observational study of newly diagnosed PD patients in the North East of England with age-matched controls (PD, n = 145; control, n = 94). Serum 25(OH)D was assessed at baseline and 18 months. Participants underwent clinical assessment at baseline, 18 and 36 months. One hundred and ten participants with PD also took part in a prospective falls study. Results: Mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations were lower in PD than control participants at baseline (44.1±21.7 vs. 52.2±22.1 nmol/L, p < 0.05) and 18 months (44.2±23.6 vs. 55.7±28.8 nmol/L, p < 0.05). Baseline serum 25(OH)D concentration, age, motor score and dosage of dopaminergic medication were significant predictors of variance of motor severity at 36 months ((ΔR2 = 0.039, F = 6.6, p < 0.01). Serum 25(OH)D was not associated with cognition or falls during the follow up period. Conclusions: Patients with incident PD had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations than age-matched controls, which may have implications in terms of bone health and fracture risk. There was a small but significant association between vitamin D status at baseline and disease motor severity at 36 months.