Effectiveness and Outcomes of Current Practice in Treating Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients Listed for Liver Transplantation.
Endocr Pract. 2015 Mar 18:1-26. [Epub ahead of print]
Chaney A1, Heckman MG2, Diehl NN2, Meek S3, Keaveny AP1.
Liver transplant candidates given 400,000 IU
But mal-functioning livers are not able to process Vitamin D
Wonder why they did not use Calcidiol
See also Vitamin D Life
OBJECTIVE:
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in cirrhotic patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT). Optimal vitamin D management for these patients remains undefined. We sought to determine the effectiveness of our practice in addressing vitamin D deficiency in LT patients.
METHODS:
This retrospective study included 127 patients who received a first LT between July 2010 and July 2011. Outcomes measured included re-admission rates, fractures, and functional status post-LT. 25-hydroxyvitamin (OH) D deficiency was stratified as: mild 20-30 ng/mL, moderate 15-19.9 ng/mL, and severe <15 ng/mL. We estimated the amount of vitamin D supplementation required for each patient.
RESULTS:
At LT evaluation, 107 patients (84%) had vitamin D deficiency, and 74% remained vitamin D deficient at LT. Only 62% received vitamin D supplementation pre-LT. Moderate and severe deficiencies were less common at LT and rare 4 months post-LT. There was an association between improvement in vitamin D deficiency category at LT and increased vitamin D (>400,000 IU total) supplementation (P=0.004). We found no association between vitamin D deficiency at LT and functional status, fractures, or readmissions post-LT. Patients receiving induction immunosuppressant therapy with basiliximab had a significantly greater degree of worsening in bone mineral density post-LT.
CONCLUSION:
Moderate-severe vitamin D deficiency was very prevalent in a cohort of patients undergoing evaluation for LT. Deficiency was improved with increased vitamin D replacement therapy. Vitamin D deficiency at LT was not associated with worse bone or functional outcomes post-LT. The influence of basiliximab on bone health post-LT requires further evaluation.
PMID: 25786551