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

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.

Keywords:

• fibromyalgia
• vitamin D
• serotonin
• Saudi Arabia
• Taif

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.