Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40797337›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of medical research2025

Role of vitamin D as adjuvant therapy on multiple sclerosis: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Ibrahim Serag, Mohamed Abouzid, Khalid Radwan Alsaadany, Mohamed Hendawy, Hossam Tharwat Ali, Yazan Yaseen, Mostafa Hossam El Din Moawad

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of medical research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ibrahim SeragFaculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. ibrahimserag@std.mans.edu.eg.
Mohamed AbouzidDepartment of Physical Pharmacy and Pharmacokinetics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Rokietnicka 3 street, 60-806, Poznan, Poland.
Khalid Radwan AlsaadanyFaculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Mohamed HendawyFaculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
Hossam Tharwat AliQena Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt.
Yazan YaseenFaculty of Medicine, Mutah University, Mutah, Jordan.
Mostafa Hossam El Din MoawadAlexandria Main University Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disorder affecting the central nervous system, with multiple risk factors suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis. Many studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of MS. This review aims to comprehensively evaluate the published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of vitamin D supplements as add-on therapy for MS patients.

methodsWe systematically searched the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane databases up to August 2024 for the published RCTs evaluating the use of vitamin D for MS in adults. All included studies were screened and abstracted independently by two authors. Radiological and clinical outcomes were extracted, and the meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4.

resultsOur meta-analysis, which included 21 studies with 1,903 patients (20.1% males), found that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced expanded disability status scale scores (MD = - 0.17, p = 0.03), relapse rates (OR = 0.66, p = 0.02), and new T2 lesion formation (MD = - 0.48, p = 0.03) in patients with MS compared to controls, with minimal to no heterogeneity. However, there was no effect on the annual relapse rate (p = 0.81), timed 25-foot walk (p = 0.54), fatigue severity, or quality of life. Subgroup analysis indicated a relapse rate reduction only in those treated for more than 12 months (OR = 0.53, p = 0.003), suggesting duration-dependent benefits of vitamin D.

conclusionsVitamin D supplementation produces statistically significant-yet clinically modest-reductions in disability progression, relapses, and new T2-lesion formation without demonstrable effects on fatigue or quality of life. Accordingly, it should be considered a potentially helpful adjunct pending more definitive evidence. Larger, dose-stratified trials powered for clinically meaningful endpoints are still needed before vitamin D can be endorsed as an efficacy-proven disease-modifying therapy.

Indexed as

Multiple SclerosisVitamin DVitaminsDietary SupplementsHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicVitamin DVitaminsCholecalciferolDisease-modifying therapyMultiple sclerosisVitamin D

Identifiers

PMID40797337
PMCPMC12341198

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.