Vitamin D supplementation does not prevent the recurrence of Graves’ disease

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 16
• Main Authors: Cho, Yoon Young, Chung, Yun Jae
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 08.01.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/163/2743/1841; 692/308/409; Adult; Dietary Supplements; Female; Graves Disease - drug therapy; Graves Disease - etiology; Graves Disease - pathology; Graves' disease; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Male; multidisciplinary; Multivariate analysis; Nutrition Therapy - methods; Prognosis; Recurrence; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Supplements; Thyroid; Thyroid-stimulating hormone; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - complications; Vitamin deficiency; Vitamins - administration & dosage; Vitamins - blood
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55107-9

Recent literature has reported a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among people with Graves’ disease. No study has examined the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the clinical outcomes of Graves’ disease. We aimed to evaluate whether daily vitamin D supplementation reduces Graves’ disease recurrence. We enrolled 210 subjects with Graves’ disease and vitamin D deficiency and followed them for at least one year after anti-thyroid drug (ATD) discontinuation. Among 210 individuals, 60 (29%) were amenable to taking vitamin D supplements, resulting in sufficient vitamin D levels (from 10.6 to 25.7 ng/mL), whereas the mean vitamin D level was 11.6 ng/mL in the 150 patients who did not take vitamin D supplements. The recurrence rate was similar in both groups (38% vs. 49%, P = 0.086). However, recurrence occurred earlier in the latter group (7 months vs. 5 months, P = 0.016). In the multivariate analysis, vitamin D levels and TSH-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin (TBII) titers at ATD discontinuation remained significant factors for recurrence. Vitamin D levels and TBII titers at ATD discontinuation exhibited a weak negative correlation (R = −0.143, P = 0.041). Vitamin D supplementation might have a protective effect against Graves’ disease recurrence with a borderline significant recurrence rate reduction.