2024 American Academy of Neurology Abstract Website

Joao Vitor Mahler Ferreira Oliveira¹, Marina Solti¹, Samira Apostolos-Pereira², Tarso Adoni³, Guilherme Silva³, Dagoberto Callegaro³
¹Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, ²Neurology, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, ³Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo

Objective:

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the impact of adjunct high-dose vitamin D₃ on clinical and radiological outcomes.

Background:

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a higher risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) and disease progression. However, the efficacy of vitamin D₃ as an adjuvant therapy for MS remains a controversial topic.

Design/Methods:

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for trials published until December 18th, 2022. Authors independently selected randomized controlled trials involving patients with MS, with an intervention group receiving high dose (≥1000 IU/day) cholecalciferol and reporting clinical or radiological outcomes. Authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using a standardized, pilot-tested form. The meta-analysis was conducted using RStudio for EDSS at the last follow-up, ARR, and new T2 lesion count.

Results:

We included 9 studies with 867 participants. No significant reduction of EDSS, ARR, or new T2 lesions was observed at 6-24 months. We found no evidence of publication bias.

Conclusions:

The findings of this meta-analysis strengthen current evidence that vitamin D₃ supplementation has no significant impact on clinical outcomes in patients with MS. However, the non-significant reduction of new T2 lesions could precede long-term clinical benefits and should be validated in additional studies.