Conditions: Rheumatoid Arthritis Vitamin D Deficiency
Keywords: Rheumatoid Arthritis Vitamin D deficiency Disability
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 139
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of vitamin D repletion on disease activity and disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The investigators hypothesize that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with vitamin D deficiency have greater disease activity and disability, compared to RA patients with normal vitamin D levels. The investigators also hypothesize that vitamin D treatment in these deficient patients will result in a decrease in RA disease activity and disability.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: RA Patients with vitamin D deficiency will be randomized to placebo and active intervention arms.

Patients in the placebo arm will receive I placebo pill per week for 16 weeks. After completing this arm, they will cross-over to the active treatment arm. arm 2: Patients with vitamin D deficiency will be randomized to either active or placebo group. In the active group, patients will receive ergocalciferol 50,000 IU per week for 16 weeks.

Interventions: intervention 1: Placebo sugar pill intervention 2: Ergocalciferol
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Intervention includes 1 sugar pill once a week for 16 weeks dispensed as a capsule. intervention 2: Ergocalciferol 50,000 IU per week for 16 weeks

Protocol document: