PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Macfarlane, G J
AU  - Palmer, B
AU  - Roy, D
AU  - Afzal, C
AU  - Silman, A J
AU  - O’Neill, T
TI  - An excess of widespread pain among South Asians: are low levels of vitamin D implicated?
AID  - 10.1136/ard.2004.032656
DP  - 2005 Aug 01
TA  - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
PG  - 1217--1219
VI  - 64
IP  - 8
4099  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/64/8/1217.short
4100  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/64/8/1217.full
SO  - Ann Rheum Dis2005 Aug 01; 64
AB  - Background: Anecdotal reports from rheumatologists in the United Kingdom suggest that patients from South Asian backgrounds are more likely to report widespread body pain.Objective: To confirm the presence of an excess of widespread pain in South Asians, and to evaluate the relationship of their symptoms with levels of 25-OH vitamin D.Methods: Two population studies involving over 3135 subjects were carried out in the North West and Midlands areas of England.Results: The first study confirmed an excess of widespread pain among South Asians (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.1). The second smaller study conducted only among young women also showed a similar excess of widespread pain among South Asians (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 0.7 to 4.7) and found that low levels of 25-OH vitamin D (<10 ng/ml) were more common among those with widespread pain (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 0.4 to 31.0).Conclusions: Owing to the small numbers, the relationship between 25-OH vitamin D and widespread pain must be considered preliminary and requires further investigation. However, it may be one potentially treatable cause of widespread pain.