Vitamin D supplementation in patients with ME/CFS

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The effects of oral vitamin D supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk in patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis /Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

• IRAS ID

  47487

• Contact name

  Jill J F Belch

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Dundee

• Eudract number

  2010-019096-29

• ISRCTN Number

  59927814

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  n/a

• Research summary

  A previous study within our department has shown that patients with ME/CFS have reduced level of Vitamin D in their blood. Studies in patients with other diseases (e.g. diabetes) have shown that reduced level of Vitamin D are associated with increasec risk of cardiovascular disease e.g. heart attack or stroke.We know also that ME/CFS patients have evidence of inflammation and blood vessel damage which are thought to be predictors of future cardiovascular events. However there is no evidence to show whether increasing levels of vitamin D will improve cardiovascular function in ME/CFS patients.In this study we would like to examine whether we can improve the function of the blood vessels and markers of inflammation in patients with ME/CFS with high doses of Vitamin D given orally in liquid form every two months over a six month period (3 doses in total). XMRV virus - viral infection and development of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been a matter of debate for sometime now. In a few study XMRV virus was detected in patients suffering from ME/CFS. We would like to test for this virus in this study to confirm presence or absence of XMRV in this group of patients and to see whether its presence relates to cardiovascular function.

• REC name

  East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 2

• REC reference

  10/S0501/61

• Date of REC Opinion

  15 Feb 2011

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion