Scientists have found a link between vitamin D deficiency and pain
Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with more severe pain after breast cancer surgery. Scientists came to this conclusion after studying the condition of 184 women after mastectomy. About why vitamin D levels can affect recovery after surgery, see the "Izvestia" article.
What the study showed
Researchers from Fayoum University in Egypt studied 184 breast cancer patients who had to have one breast surgically removed. The work was carried out from September 2024 to April 2025. The participants were divided into two groups depending on their vitamin D levels: less than 30 nanomoles per liter was considered a deficiency, while values above 30 nanomoles per liter were considered sufficient.
The researchers assessed the severity of pain immediately after surgery, as well as after 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours. In general, the groups were comparable in basic characteristics, including age: the average age of patients with vitamin D deficiency was about 44 years, and in women with sufficient levels — about 42 years. The results are published in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (RAPM).
The results showed that patients with vitamin D deficiency were about three times more likely to experience moderate or severe postoperative pain during the first day. At the same time, severe pain with a score of seven points or higher on a ten-point scale was not recorded in any of the groups. The difference was related specifically to moderate pain, which the participants rated at 4-6 points.
Why Vitamin D May be Associated with Pain
Vitamin D is primarily known for its role in maintaining bone health, but its functions in the body are not limited to this. According to scientists, it can also participate in processes related to the perception and processing of pain.
Researchers consider the effect of vitamin D on inflammatory and immune processes to be one possible explanation. After surgery, the body triggers an inflammatory reaction necessary for tissue repair. Changes in the immune system and the level of inflammation can potentially affect how much pain a person feels.
However, the new study does not allow us to say that it is the lack of vitamin D that causes increased pain. The work was observational: scientists compared existing vitamin D levels and the severity of pain after surgery, but did not check the cause-and-effect relationship between them.
The authors also note several limitations of the study. In particular, the scientists did not measure markers of inflammation and did not take into account a number of factors that could potentially affect pain perception, including anxiety, depression, cancer stage, treatment features and sleep disorders before surgery.
Can Vitamin D help with recovery
The results indicate a possible relationship between vitamin D levels before surgery and the severity of pain on the first day after surgery. However, in order to talk about the potential benefits of correcting vitamin D deficiency, additional research is needed.
The authors of the study believe that taking vitamin D before surgery may be important for patients with severe deficiency. At the same time, we are talking about a possible direction for further study, and not about a proven method of preventing postoperative pain.
Conclusions of the study authors
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher incidence of moderate to severe postoperative pain and increased opioid use in patients undergoing unilateral modified radical mastectomy.
They also note that the preoperative use of vitamin D in patients with breast cancer, whose level is below 30 nmol/L, may play a role in modulating postoperative pain.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
