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Low levels of vitamin D may worsen symptoms in patients suffering from gastroparesis, according to a groundbreaking study published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences. Researchers found a strong association between low vitamin D levels and heightened nausea, vomiting, and impaired gastric function in gastroparesis patients, suggesting that vitamin D monitoring could play a critical role in symptom management.
Key Findings
The study evaluated 513 adult patients with gastroparesis symptoms enrolled in the Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium registry. Conducted across seven tertiary care centers in the United States, the research revealed that over half of the participants—56.1%—had insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels.
The findings showed:
- Prevalence of Low Vitamin D: Among the 513 patients, 54.8% of those diagnosed with gastroparesis and 59.9% of those with normal gastric emptying exhibited low vitamin D levels.
- Symptom Severity: Low vitamin D levels were significantly linked to increased nausea, retching, and vomiting, regardless of gastric emptying status.
- Gastric Retention: Gastroparesis patients with low vitamin D levels retained a greater percentage of a solid, low-fat meal in their stomachs after four hours compared to those with normal vitamin D levels (36% vs. 31%).
Neuromuscular Dysfunction
Patients with normal gastric emptying but insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels also demonstrated abnormal gastric electrical activity. This included increased bradygastria and reduced three-cycles-per-minute gastric myoelectrical activity before a water load test, followed by increased tachygastria post-ingestion.
Implications for Treatment
These findings highlight the potential role of vitamin D in managing gastroparesis symptoms. “Monitoring vitamin D levels could offer an additional tool for clinicians to address the complex symptoms of gastroparesis,” noted the researchers. They suggested further investigation into whether vitamin D supplementation could help improve symptom severity and gastric function in affected patients.
This study underscores the need for integrated care approaches in managing gastroparesis, emphasizing the importance of nutritional assessments in tailoring treatments for improved patient outcomes.
Source: Digestive Diseases and Sciences (2024), Medscape.
