{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,16]],"date-time":"2025-12-16T12:18:35Z","timestamp":1765887515421,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2013,6,26]],"date-time":"2013-06-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1372204800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The co-existence of high prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy among Canadians and high prevalence of systematic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) raise the question on relationship between the two situations. Objective: To determine vitamin D status in known cases of common SARDs and compare to those with non-autoimmune diseases; further, to evaluate the impact of vitamin D on disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cases. Methods: In a retrospective case-control study design, we evaluated 116 patients in a community clinic classified in two groups, Control group: patients with non-rheumatic disease (n = 56), and Case group: those with rheumatic diseases (n = 60). We compared plasma vitamin D status (25(OH)D), indicators of disease activity and other potential confounders. Further, we determined factors associated with disease activity in RA cases. Results: The plasma 25(OH)D was significantly lower in Case group (64.8 \u00b1 29.8) compared to Control group (86.8 \u00b1 37.7). High number of SARDs outpatients 56%) had considerably low plasma 25(OH)D concentration. RA cases with low plasma 25(OH)D had over five times higher risk of disease activity (OR = 5.15 95% CI 1.16, 22.9; p = 0.031). Conclusion: Inadequate vitamin D status in SARDs cases, along with considerably strong association with disease activity in RA cases, indicate the need for proper evaluation of vitamin D status in this clinical population. Moreover, appropriate training should be given to the patients to ensure the intake of the recommended amount of vitamin D per day through diet or supplement.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu5072268","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,6,26]],"date-time":"2013-06-26T13:00:35Z","timestamp":1372251635000},"page":"2268-2275","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["Vitamin D Status Is Associated with Disease Activity among Rheumatology Outpatients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Zohreh","family":"Sabbagh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7J 5B6, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Janet","family":"Markland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7J 5B6, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2621-8385","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hassanali","family":"Vatanparast","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK S7N 5C9, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,6,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"549","DOI":"10.1007\/s00296-010-1591-2","article-title":"Surveillance of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases using administrative data","volume":"31","author":"Bernatsky","year":"2011","journal-title":"Rheumatol. 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