Over half of patients with symptoms of gastroparesis have low vitamin D levels, which is linked to heightened nausea, vomiting, and gastric neuromuscular dysfunction.
Researchers evaluated 513 US patients, aged 18 years or older, with symptoms of gastroparesis who are included in the registry of the Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium. Of these 513 patients, 288 (56.1%) had low vitamin D levels, with levels being insufficient in 156 patients and deficient in 132 patients. The prevalence of low vitamin D levels was similar in patients with gastroparesis (54.8%) and with normal gastric emptying (59.9%). Low vitamin D levels were associated with significantly higher nausea and retching scores in patients with gastroparesis and with normal gastric emptying and with higher individual vomiting scores in patients with gastroparesis. Patients with gastroparesis and low vitamin D levels showed higher gastric retention of a solid, low-fat meal at 4 hours than those with normal vitamin D levels.
“This study lays the framework for the next level of investigation, the replenishment of vitamin D in patients with symptoms of gastroparesis who have low vitamin D levels to see if this improves their gastric neuromuscular dysfunction and symptoms of gastroparesis. Until this study is performed, we advocate assessing vitamin D levels in patients with symptoms of gastroparesis and treatment with exogenous vitamin D if the patient is deficient in vitamin D,” the authors wrote.
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