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Original Research

Clinical association of vitamin D and serotonin levels among patients with fibromyalgia syndrome

, , , & ORCID Icon
Pages 1421-1426 | Published online: 27 May 2019
 

Abstract

Objective: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic disorder associated with severe pain. According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, the prevalence of FMS is between 3% and 6% in the general population, with about 90% of the patients being women. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D and serotonin levels and FMS severity.

Methods: Forty participants with fibromyalgia (mean age: 37.8±9.5 years) were included and had their medical history taken, a physical examination, and laboratory testing in the Rheumatology Department at Al-Ameen Hospital in Taif, Saudi Arabia. The revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) was used to determine the FMS severity.

Results: The results showed that 42.5% of the patients were considered to have mild/moderate fibromyalgia, with the remainder having severe/extreme fibromyalgia. The latter were more likely to have lower serotonin levels. The results showed a significant dose-dependent negative relationship between the serotonin levels and FIQR scores (P=0.002). However, no significant correlations were found between the vitamin D levels and FIQR scores (P=0.112).

Conclusion: The findings of this study show that the improved health of FMS patients is associated with normal serotonin levels.

Acknowledgments

Research assistance support was provided by Hassan M. Awad and Mss. Monnette Farmento.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.