ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is the debilitating condition considered by persistent fatigue that is not reassured by rest. Emerging evidence has suggested a potential link between vitamin D deficiency and the severity of CFS symptoms. However, the prevalence and severity of serum vitamin D deficiency in CFS patients remain unclear.
Aim: This current research intended to systematically measure prevalence and sternness of serum vitamin D deficiency in patients identified with CFS through the meta-analysis of existing literature.
Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted at Mayo Hospital, Lahore, from October 2023 to September 2024. An overall of 50 patients diagnosed having CFS were included in our research. Relevant studies published up to September 2024 were identified through PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Data on serum vitamin D levels and deficiency prevalence were extracted and analyzed using the random-effects model.
Results: The meta-analysis revealed that 76% of CFS patients had vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL), while 18% had insufficient levels (20–30 ng/mL). The mean serum vitamin D level among CFS patients was 17.3 ± 4.6 ng/mL, meaningfully lesser than control group (24.8 ± 5.2 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with severe fatigue had notably lower vitamin D levels (14.2 ± 3.9 ng/mL) associated to these with moderate fatigue (19.1 ± 4.2 ng/mL, p = 0.003).
Conclusion: This research confirmed very high occurrence of vitamin D deficiency amongst CFS patients, having more severe deficiencies observed in those experiencing greater fatigue severity. These findings highlight possible role of vitamin D in CFS management and need for further research to discover its therapeutic inferences.
Keywords: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Vitamin D Deficiency, Prevalence, Serum Levels, Meta-Analysis, Fatigue Severity.