Spondyloarthritis & psoriatic arthritis
Impact of vitamin D levels on disease activity, function and health over 2 years in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: data from GErman SPondyloarthritis Inception Cohort (GESPIC)
Authors' conclusion
Normal vitamin D levels were modestly associated with lower disease activity in r-axSpA treated with bDMARDs.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) and active disease at baseline initiating a biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD)mean age 36.6
- Participants
- 122 patients
- Exposure
- Vitamin D levels
- Outcome
- Longitudinal associations of vitamin D (β per 1 ng/mL increase)
- Follow-up
- 2 years
Methodological detailsinception cohort (GESPIC), longitudinal, generalised estimating equations, sensitivity analyses for time-varying confounders
- Inception cohort (GESPIC)
- Longitudinal
- Generalised estimating equations
- Sensitivity analyses for time-varying confounders
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
AxSpA Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) β per 1 ng/mL increase
−0.010
95% CI −0.017 to −0.003
Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) β
−0.021
95% CI −0.036 to −0.006
Patient Global Assessment (PGA) β
−0.021
95% CI −0.039 to −0.003
Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) β
−0.015
95% CI −0.032 to 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Vitamin D deficiency at baseline (<20 ng/mL)
- Proportion with vitamin D deficiency
- 53.3%
PGA and ASAS-HI
- Positive associations observed, estimates not consistent through all models
Original publication
Impact of vitamin D levels on disease activity, function and health over 2 years in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: data from GErman SPondyloarthritis Inception Cohort (GESPIC). RMD Open. Published 15 July 2026. doi:10.
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