Vitamin D Shows Early Promise Against Lupus
Vitamin D Shows Early Promise Against Lupus
Nov. 8, 2011 (Chicago) -- In the first study of its kind, high doses of vitamin D were safe and appeared to temper some of the destructive immune system responses believed to cause lupus.
The small, preliminary study did not look at whether skin rashes, fatigue, fever, and other symptoms of lupus actually improved.
It's too soon to draw any conclusions about vitamin D's long-term safety and effectiveness in treating lupus, says Sam Lim, MD, a rheumatologist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta who was not involved with the work.
Still, vitamin D is one of a number of experimental treatments targeting the disease process that shows promise, he says.
"More and more research is pointing to an immune-regulating role for vitamin D," Lim tells WebMD.
The findings were presented here at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting.
A Visual Guide to Lupus
The small, preliminary study did not look at whether skin rashes, fatigue, fever, and other symptoms of lupus actually improved.
It's too soon to draw any conclusions about vitamin D's long-term safety and effectiveness in treating lupus, says Sam Lim, MD, a rheumatologist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta who was not involved with the work.
Still, vitamin D is one of a number of experimental treatments targeting the disease process that shows promise, he says.
"More and more research is pointing to an immune-regulating role for vitamin D," Lim tells WebMD.
The findings were presented here at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting.
A Visual Guide to Lupus
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