Effect of baseline serum vitamin D levels on aromatase inhibitors induced musculoskeletal symptoms: results from the IBIS-II, chemoprevention study using anastrozole.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, published as a randomized controlled trial.

Severe deficiency of vitamin D in adults can cause musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, and joint discomfort.

This is presumably due to oestrogen deficiency caused by AIs.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 416 participants taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults, middle-aged adults and older adults, women only.

Serum vitamin D levels were measured for 416 participants.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and multicenter.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Blinding on both sides kept the participants and researchers unaware of who received Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, giving a reference point.

More than one site took part, so the participants came from several places.

What Was Measured

However, no data are available on serum levels of vitamin D and their relation to developing musculoskeletal symptoms/arthralgia in women receiving an AI.

The subject headings attached to it are Anastrozole, Anticarcinogenic Agents, Aromatase Inhibitors, Arthralgia, Biomarkers, Breast Neoplasms and Logistic Models.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 416 participants.

With several hundred people or more, it is a fairly large study for this kind of research.

The publication is from 2012 (Breast cancer research and treatment), a journal based in Netherlands.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.