Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England

Kate E Earl; Giorgos K Sakellariou; Melanie Sinclair; Manuel Fenech; Fiona Croden; Daniel J Owens; Jonathan Tang; Alastair Miller; Clare Lawton; Louise Dye; Graeme L Close; William D Fraser; Anne McArdle; Michael B J Beadsworth

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015296

Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England

Kate E Earl, Giorgos K Sakellariou, Melanie Sinclair, Manuel Fenech, Fiona Croden, Daniel J Owens, Jonathan Tang, Alastair Miller, Clare Lawton, Louise Dye, Graeme L Close, William D Fraser, Anne McArdle, Michael B J Beadsworth

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5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Severe vitamin D deficiency is a recognised cause of skeletal muscle fatigue and myopathy. The aim of this study was to examine whether chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is associated with altered circulating vitamin D metabolites.

DESIGN: Cohort study.

SETTING: UK university hospital, recruiting from April 2014 to April 2015.

PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-two patients with CFS/ME and 94 age-matched healthy controls (HCs).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of a significant association between CFS/ME, fatigue and vitamin D measures.

RESULTS: No evidence of a deficiency in serum total 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 metabolites) was evident in individuals with CFS/ME. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed that total 25(OH)D was significantly higher (p=0.001) in serum of patients with CFS/ME compared with HCs (60.2 and 47.3 nmol/L, respectively). Analysis of food/supplement diaries with WinDiets revealed that the higher total 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations observed in the CFS/ME group were associated with increased vitamin D intake through use of supplements compared with the control group. Analysis of Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire data revealed no association between perceived fatigue and vitamin D levels.

CONCLUSIONS: Low serum concentrations of total 25(OH)D do not appear to be a contributing factor to the level of fatigue of CFS/ME.

Original language	English
Article number	e015296
Journal	BMJ Open
Volume	7
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015296
Publication status	Published - Nov 2017

Keywords

Case-Control Studies
Encephalomyelitis/epidemiology
England
Fatigue
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/epidemiology
Humans
Vitamin D
Vitamin D Deficiency/epidemiology

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Earl, K. E., Sakellariou, G. K., Sinclair, M., Fenech, M., Croden, F., Owens, D. J., Tang, J., Miller, A., Lawton, C., Dye, L., Close, G. L., Fraser, W. D., McArdle, A., & Beadsworth, M. B. J. (2017). Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England. BMJ Open, 7(11), Article e015296. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015296

@article{507537ad6da64228ba92de083d1beb8b,

title = "Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: Severe vitamin D deficiency is a recognised cause of skeletal muscle fatigue and myopathy. The aim of this study was to examine whether chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is associated with altered circulating vitamin D metabolites.DESIGN: Cohort study.SETTING: UK university hospital, recruiting from April 2014 to April 2015.PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-two patients with CFS/ME and 94 age-matched healthy controls (HCs).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of a significant association between CFS/ME, fatigue and vitamin D measures.RESULTS: No evidence of a deficiency in serum total 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 metabolites) was evident in individuals with CFS/ME. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed that total 25(OH)D was significantly higher (p=0.001) in serum of patients with CFS/ME compared with HCs (60.2 and 47.3 nmol/L, respectively). Analysis of food/supplement diaries with WinDiets revealed that the higher total 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations observed in the CFS/ME group were associated with increased vitamin D intake through use of supplements compared with the control group. Analysis of Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire data revealed no association between perceived fatigue and vitamin D levels.CONCLUSIONS: Low serum concentrations of total 25(OH)D do not appear to be a contributing factor to the level of fatigue of CFS/ME.",

keywords = "Case-Control Studies, Encephalomyelitis/epidemiology, England, Fatigue, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/epidemiology, Humans, Vitamin D, Vitamin D Deficiency/epidemiology",

author = "Earl, {Kate E} and Sakellariou, {Giorgos K} and Melanie Sinclair and Manuel Fenech and Fiona Croden and Owens, {Daniel J} and Jonathan Tang and Alastair Miller and Clare Lawton and Louise Dye and Close, {Graeme L} and Fraser, {William D} and Anne McArdle and Beadsworth, {Michael B J}",

note = "{\textcopyright} Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. ",

year = "2017",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015296",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

journal = "BMJ Open",

issn = "2044-6055",

publisher = "BMJ Publishing Group",

number = "11",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis

T2 - a cohort study from the North-West of England

AU - Earl, Kate E

AU - Sakellariou, Giorgos K

AU - Sinclair, Melanie

AU - Fenech, Manuel

AU - Croden, Fiona

AU - Owens, Daniel J

AU - Tang, Jonathan

AU - Miller, Alastair

AU - Lawton, Clare

AU - Dye, Louise

AU - Close, Graeme L

AU - Fraser, William D

AU - McArdle, Anne

AU - Beadsworth, Michael B J

PY - 2017/11

Y1 - 2017/11

N2 - OBJECTIVE: Severe vitamin D deficiency is a recognised cause of skeletal muscle fatigue and myopathy. The aim of this study was to examine whether chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is associated with altered circulating vitamin D metabolites.DESIGN: Cohort study.SETTING: UK university hospital, recruiting from April 2014 to April 2015.PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-two patients with CFS/ME and 94 age-matched healthy controls (HCs).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of a significant association between CFS/ME, fatigue and vitamin D measures.RESULTS: No evidence of a deficiency in serum total 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 metabolites) was evident in individuals with CFS/ME. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed that total 25(OH)D was significantly higher (p=0.001) in serum of patients with CFS/ME compared with HCs (60.2 and 47.3 nmol/L, respectively). Analysis of food/supplement diaries with WinDiets revealed that the higher total 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations observed in the CFS/ME group were associated with increased vitamin D intake through use of supplements compared with the control group. Analysis of Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire data revealed no association between perceived fatigue and vitamin D levels.CONCLUSIONS: Low serum concentrations of total 25(OH)D do not appear to be a contributing factor to the level of fatigue of CFS/ME.

AB - OBJECTIVE: Severe vitamin D deficiency is a recognised cause of skeletal muscle fatigue and myopathy. The aim of this study was to examine whether chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is associated with altered circulating vitamin D metabolites.DESIGN: Cohort study.SETTING: UK university hospital, recruiting from April 2014 to April 2015.PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-two patients with CFS/ME and 94 age-matched healthy controls (HCs).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The presence of a significant association between CFS/ME, fatigue and vitamin D measures.RESULTS: No evidence of a deficiency in serum total 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 metabolites) was evident in individuals with CFS/ME. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed that total 25(OH)D was significantly higher (p=0.001) in serum of patients with CFS/ME compared with HCs (60.2 and 47.3 nmol/L, respectively). Analysis of food/supplement diaries with WinDiets revealed that the higher total 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations observed in the CFS/ME group were associated with increased vitamin D intake through use of supplements compared with the control group. Analysis of Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire data revealed no association between perceived fatigue and vitamin D levels.CONCLUSIONS: Low serum concentrations of total 25(OH)D do not appear to be a contributing factor to the level of fatigue of CFS/ME.

KW - Case-Control Studies

KW - Encephalomyelitis/epidemiology

KW - England

KW - Fatigue

KW - Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/epidemiology

KW - Humans

KW - Vitamin D

KW - Vitamin D Deficiency/epidemiology

U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015296

DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015296

M3 - Article

C2 - 29118054

SN - 2044-6055

VL - 7

JO - BMJ Open

JF - BMJ Open

IS - 11

M1 - e015296

ER -

Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England

Abstract

Keywords

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