A new study suggests vitamin D may be more important than known for preventing ulcerative colitis flare-ups.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation of the large intestine that can frequently relapse after being under control for a period of time.
Vitamin D status important for preventing colitis relapse
A new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found low vitamin D levels can contribute to ulcerative collitis relapse, which might make it important for your doctor to check your blood levels.
Past studies have shown the vitamin D is linked to a higher risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis flares.
"However, it has been unclear if the flare-up was lowering vitamin D levels, or if low vitamin D levels were causing the flare-up. We thought that if we looked at vitamin D levels when the disease was inactive and then followed patients moving forward, the impact of baseline vitamin D levels on future events may be clearer," said senior study author Alan Moss, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Disease Center at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation of the large intestine that can frequently relapse after being under control for a period of time.
Vitamin D status important for preventing colitis relapse
A new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found low vitamin D levels can contribute to ulcerative collitis relapse, which might make it important for your doctor to check your blood levels.
Past studies have shown the vitamin D is linked to a higher risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis flares.
"However, it has been unclear if the flare-up was lowering vitamin D levels, or if low vitamin D levels were causing the flare-up. We thought that if we looked at vitamin D levels when the disease was inactive and then followed patients moving forward, the impact of baseline vitamin D levels on future events may be clearer," said senior study author Alan Moss, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Disease Center at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.