The Impact of Vitamin D on Pregnant Women with Restless Leg Syndrome/Willis Ekbom Disease

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19654
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 58:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: Eto Hiromi 長崎大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科(保健学科), 教授 (10213555)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 周尾 卓也 北陸大学, 薬学部, 講師 (90399006)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: レストレスレッグス症候群 / ビタミンD / 妊婦 / 質量分析 / RLS/WED / 25(OH)D / 1,25-(OH)2D / LC-MS/MS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to clarify the previously unexplored relationship between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and vitamin D (VD) during pregnancy. In this study, serum 25(OH)D and 1,25-(OH)2D, the activated forms of VD, were measured precisely by mass spectrometry (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: LC-MS/MS).Consent for research cooperation was obtained from 205 subjects. The mean age of the subjects was 32.0 ± 4.9 years, the mean gestational age was 35.9 ± 1.0 weeks, 110 were primiparous, and 95 were multiparous. The prevalence of RLS was 34 (16.6%). The mean of 25(OH)D was 9.0 ± 3.2 ng/mL in the RLS group and 11.2 ± 5.4 ng/mL in the non-RLS group, and 25(OH)D in RLS group was significantly lower (p=0.036) than non-RLS group.

Free Research Field

助産学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回、ビタミンDの活性化型である血清25(OH)D、1,25-(OH)2Dを質量分析法によって精緻に特定し、さらに、血液生化学検査でRLS関連項目やビタミンD欠乏を示す項目も精査した。妊娠中のRLS妊婦のVDが有意に低かったことから、VDの補充療法が、妊娠中にRLSを発症した妊婦にとって画期的な対処法となり得ることがわかった。特に、コロナ渦で、ビタミンDの生合成に影響する妊婦の日照はかなり減少していることが推測され、今後、RLS妊婦に対するVD補充療法の効果検証など、より詳細な研究が期待される。