This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

High-dose vitamin D₃ improved 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels in elderly participants

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on .

Subscribe

Added to email alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

Back to Healio

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Back to Healio

People over 65 years of age living in a low-income housing unit experienced greater improvements in vitamin D deficiency with a single, daily dose of cholecalciferol 300,000 IU compared with 800 IU.

Researchers from Brazil conducted a randomized, double blind, controlled trial and compared the effects of high- and low-dose cholecalciferol on serum 25-hydoxycholecalciferol levels and reversion of secondary hyperparathyroidism. They randomly assigned 28 participants aged 65 to 102 years to receive daily oral cholecalciferol 300,000 IU or 800 IU for nine months. In addition, participants in both groups received calcium carbonate 1,250 mg per day. At baseline, each participant had serum parathyroid hormone levels >48 pg/mL and normal or reduced serum calcium levels.

At nine months, those assigned to cholecalciferol 300,000 IU had higher serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels compared with those assigned to 800 IU (P<.001). The number of participants who reached serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels >20 ng/dL was significantly higher among those who received higher-dose cholecalciferol after months one and three.

“In the short term, a single 300,000 IU oral dose of vitamin D₃ was more effective than 800 IU per day to increase 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels in elderly individuals living in a low-income housing unit who were taking 500 mg elementary calcium supplement per day,” the researchers wrote. – by Katie Kalvaitis

J Bone Miner Metab. 2008;26:603-608.

The authors administered a very large single dose of vitamin D³ 300,000 IU once in nine months or 800 IU of D₃ daily during the same period to elderly Brazilians living in a low-income housing unit with low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Although the average dose administered per day was almost 40% greater (approximately 1,100 IU per day vs. 800 IU per day) and vitamin D₃ is not generally available in the United States in doses exceeding 1,000 IU per tablet, period substantial single doses instead of daily doses may well be preferred in similar populations, particularly when compliance is an issue.

– Jeffrey Garber, MD

Endocrine Today Editorial Board member