Does vitamin D administration play a role in outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke? A randomized controlled trial

Omidvar Rezaei; Mahtab Ramezani; Mehrdad Roozbeh; Bahareh Fazeli; Mohammadreza Hajiesmaeili; Hossein Pakdaman; Leila Simani

doi:10.18502/cjn.v20i1.6374

Omidvar Rezaei Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital Complex, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahtab Ramezani Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital Complex, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehrdad Roozbeh Brain Mapping Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Bahareh Fazeli Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital Complex, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammadreza Hajiesmaeili Anesthesiology Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital Complex, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Hossein Pakdaman Brain Mapping Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Leila Simani Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital Complex, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/cjn.v20i1.6374

Keywords: Vitamin D; Ischemic Stroke; Neurologic Manifestations; Inflammation; Cognitive Function

Abstract

Background: Clinical studies have reported improved neurological outcomes in patients who were taking vitamin D supplements. This study investigates the effect of intramuscular (IM) vitamin D supplementation in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) on neurological outcomes and inflammatory marker levels.

Methods: This study included patients diagnosed with AIS (n = 60) from the Neurology Unit of Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran, during the year 2019. Patients with AIS were allocated randomly into two groups who received a single dose of 300000 IU IM vitamin D and a control group that did not receive vitamin D supplementation. Serum vitamin D concentration, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels, as primary outcomes, and the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS), the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), as secondary outcomes, were measured at the baseline and the end of the study (6 weeks).

Results: Eventually, 59 patients with AIS completed the intervention study. A single dose of 300000 IU increased vitamin D level; moreover, vitamin D supplementation improved MRS and IL-6 levels significantly (P = 0.01, P = 0.02, respectively). There were reverse correlations between serum vitamin D and NIHSS and TNF-α after vitamin D administration. However, no statistically significant effect of vitamin D on the TNF-α or NIHSS and MMSE was seen compared to the control group.

Conclusion: Vitamin D probably due to a single dose