Low vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in European populations, however whether vitamin D can delay or prevent the onset of MS requires further investigation, according to researchers.
The authors used data from the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium study, which involves 14,498 people with multiple sclerosis and 24,091 healthy controls. Combining this data with a genetic technique called Mendelian randomization, which reduces the possibility of unknown causes increasing the risk of MS, the researchers found an increased risk of MS associated with a genetic decrease in vitamin D levels.
Original research paper published in PLOS Medicine on August 25, 2015.
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