DALLAS – Sufficient vitamin D levels – serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations greater than 80 nmol/L – appeared to protect against edema of the retinal nerve fiber layer in a prospective cohort study of patients with acute optic neuritis.
An adequate vitamin D level also protected against thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) ganglion cell layer and other poor outcomes after 6 months in the study of 49 patients (some of whom had multiple sclerosis), according to researchers at the University of Calgary (Alta.).
The team correlated vitamin D levels with optical coherence tomography findings. Vitamin D is known to have anti-inflammatory effects, so it’s the chronic benefit that was surprising, lead investigator Dr. Jodie Burton explained at a meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.
It’s just one more reason that it’s a good idea to check vitamin D levels, and supplement them if necessary, Dr. Burton said.