Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211611
Title: Low Vitamin D levels are associated with greater pain and slow walking speed in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA)

Author
item WANG, JUN - TUFTS NEMC
item NUITE, MELYNN - TUFTS NEMC
item WHEELER, LAURA - TUFTS NEMC
item BADIANI, PRUTHA - TUFTS NEMC
item JOAS, JOHANE - TUFTS NEMC
item MCADAMS, ERICA - TUFTS NEMC
item FLETCHER, JEREMIAH - TUFTS NEMC
item LAVALLEY, MICHAEL - BOSTON UNIV SCH PUBHEALTH
item Dawson-Hughes, Bess
item MCALINDON, TIMOTHY - TUFTS NEMC

Submitted to: American College of Rheumatology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2007
Publication Date: 11/6/2007
Citation: Wang, J., Nuite, M., Wheeler, L.M., Badiani, P., Joas, J., Mcadams, E.L., Fletcher, J., Lavalley, M.P., Dawson-Hughes, B., Mcalindon, T.E. 2007. Low Vitamin D levels are associated with greater pain and slow walking speed in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). In: American College of Rheumatology Scientific Meeting, 11/6/07-11/11/07, Boston, MA. 56(9supplement): S124.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The clinical status of patients with knee OA is primarily predicated by their level of pain and their muscle function. Recent studies have shown that vitamin D influences both musculoskeletal health and neuromuscular function. Vitamin D deficiency is common among elders and those with comorbidities. This suggests that vitamin D may especially influence the clinical status of patients with knee OA. This study examined whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was associated with pain and physical function in patients with symptomatic knee OA. A cross-sectional analysis was performed of baseline data among participants of a clinical trial of knee OA progression. Eligibility criteria included (1) chronic knee symptoms, (2) radiographic tibiofemoral OA [K/L grade >=2], (3) serum 25(OH)D <80 ng/ml. The physical function evaluation comprised the timed chair stand and 20-meter walking tests. Knee pain was evaluated using the WOMAC pain subscale. Serum 25(OH)D level was measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method. We defined vitamin D deficiency as serum 25(OH)D <30 ng/ml. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between vitamin D deficiency with the pain and physical function scores, adjusting for sex, race, age, body mass index (BMI), month of blood draw, and K/L grade. Each outcome was dichotomized at its median (i.e., WOMAC pain subscale, >6/<=6; 20-meter walking test, >20/<=20 sec; chair stand test, >16/<=16 sec). The analysis included 65 women (mean age 62 yrs, SD, 8) and 35 men (66 yrs; SD, 9), of whom 47% had 25(OH)D <30 ng/ml. Fifty percent of the subjects had a K/L grade>=3. The subjects had a mean BMI of 30.4 (SD, 5.3), mean pain score of 6.7 (SD, 3.8), mean 20-meter walking time of 17.4 sec (SD, 5.2), and mean chair stand test time of 21.4 sec (SD, 7.8). Vitamin D deficiency was associated with greater knee pain (adjusted OR for WOMAC pain score>6, 3.22, 95% CI, 1.08-9.58). Vitamin D deficiency was associated with a slower walking speed (adjusted OR, 3.24, 95% CI, 1.12-9.42). The association with 25(OH)D was slightly reduced by inclusion of knee pain severity in the model (adjusted OR, 2.94, 95% CI, 0.91-9.44). Vitamin D deficiency was not associated with chair stand time (adjusted OR, 0.92, 95% CI, 0.29-2.92). Therefore, study results show that among patients with knee OA, a low 25(OH)D level is associated with greater knee pain and slower walking speed. This association will be explored in the longitudinal setting of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine any causal relationship.