RCT | Vitamin D supplementation shows no significant impact on psoriasis severity

Summary: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 122 participants with plaque psoriasis, researchers investigated the effects of vitamin D supplementation on psoriasis severity during winter. Participants received either vitamin D (cholecalciferol, 100,000 IU loading dose followed by 20,000 IU/week) or a placebo for four months. The primary outcome was Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores, with secondary outcomes including Physician Global Assessment, self-administered PASI, and Dermatology Life Quality Index scores.

The study found no significant difference in PASI scores or secondary outcomes between the two groups. The results suggest that vitamin D supplementation does not affect psoriasis severity. However, low baseline severity scores and a lower than expected increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the intervention group may have influenced the findings, indicating that further research may be needed to account for these factors.

Article: Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Psoriasis Severity in Patients With Lower-Range Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA Dermatology (free for a limited period)

Commentary: Vitamin D Ineffective for Psoriasis Patients with Lower Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels in Winter – HCP Live

Commentary on Twitter

This RCT, performed in North-Norway, found no measurable effect of vitamin D supplementation on psoriasis severity during winter. Low baseline severity, & lower-than-expected rise in 25(OH)D levels in intervention group, may have affected the results. https://t.co/ip17uFQsgM

— JAMA Dermatology (@JAMADerm) March 29, 2023