Thom Gow

WOMEN who have low levels of Vitamin D - found in oily fish and eggs - are more likely to suffer from chronic pain, new research suggests.

A report published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) today probed the underlying causes of the condition known as chronic widespread pain, stiffness in the muscles and joints which affects up to 10% of the population.

In a test of almost 7000 Caucasian men and women born in the same week in March 1958, scientists found that Vitamin D levels appeared to affect the extent of chronic pain in women, although not in men.

Vitamin D promotes bone formation and it is essential in the development of a strong skeleton.

The report in the BMJ also notes that, at extremely high levels, Vitamin D can result in negative effects on the bone.

In the report, carried out for the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, drinkers reported lower levels of chronic widespread pain than non-drinkers.

Other groups who reported higher levels of chronic pain include smokers, the overweight, and the underweight.

These new discoveries follow significant investigation into the causes of rheumatic pains by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), the organisation which represents the patients, health professionals and scientists of rheumatology throughout Europe.

Follow-up studies will be required to evaluate the extent to which a higher intake of Vitamin D might have beneficial effects on the risk of chronic widespread pain.