Low vitamin D associated with hemodialysis problems – May 2010

Effects of vitamin D3 on selected biochemical parameters of nutritional status, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease in patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis.

Pol Arch Med Wewn. 2010 May;120(5):167-74.

Bednarek-Skublewska A, Smole? A, Jaroszy?ski A, Za?uska W, Ksiazek A.

Department of Nephrology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland. anna.bednarek at diaverum.com

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D3 has diverse biological effects extending beyond the maintenance of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and ensuring the proper functioning of the body.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the levels of vitamin D3 and its association with nutritional status, immunological activity, and selected markers of cardiovascular disease in patients on long-term hemodialysis (HD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) levels in a group of 84 patients (mean age, 65 years; average time on dialysis, 32.5 months) and investigated correlations between 25(OH)D3 levels and the following parameters: albumin, body mass index, hemoglobin (Hb), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10, C-reactive protein, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and comorbidity score.

RESULTS: A mean 25(OH)D3 level was 15.4 +/-7.2 ng/ml and only 5% of patients had 25(OH)D3 levels above the normal value of 30 ng/ml. There was no statistically significant difference in 25(OH)D3 levels between women and men (P = 0.06). A negative correlation was observed between 25(OH)D3 and IL-6 (R = -0.31, P = 0.009) and ADMA (R = -0.26, P = 0.03), as well as a positive correlation between 25(OH)D3 and Hb (R= 0.21, P = 0.05). There was no association between 25(OH)D3 levels and nutritional status.

CONCLUSIONS: A significant vitamin D3 deficiency observed in the majority of patients undergoing long-term HD contributes to the development of chronic inflammation, anemia, and indirectly, to endothelial cell injury. PMID: 20502401 PDF is available on-line

See also Vitamin D Life

• 25,0000 IU vitamin D weekly only raised 60 percent on hemodialysis above 30 ng – Nov 2014
• 1700 IU of vitamin D not enough to help hemodialysis patients – March 2013
• Kidney Dialysis clinics reluctant to add vitamin D treatment as they are not reimbursed – Oct 2012
• Peritoneal dialysis probably consumes a lot more vitamin D than haemodialysis

Kidney category starts with

see also Overview Kidney and vitamin D
Search Vitamin D Life for dialysis OR haemodialysis 878 items not in PDF as of Aug 2020
Search Vitamin D Life for kidney transplant 798 items as of June 2019
"Chronic Kidney Disease" OR CKD 874 items as of Jan 2018

Kidney Intervention trials using Vitamin D:

Overview Kidney and vitamin D contains the following summary

• FACT: Kidney is the primary way to activate vitamin D
• FACT: When the Kidney has problems, there is less active vitamin D (Calcitriol) for the body
• FACT: When the Kidney has problems, there is increased death due to many factors - many of which are associated with lack of Calcitriol
• FACT: There are many on-going intervention clinical trials trying to determine how much of what kind of vitamin D is needed to treat the problem
• FACT: One Randomized Controlled Trial has proven that Vitamin D treats CKD
• FACT: Taking extra Vitamin D, in various forms, does not cause health problems - even if poor kidney
• Suggestion: Increase vitamin D getting into body now - and increase co-factors so that the vitamin D can be better used
    Sun, UV lamp, Vitamin D supplement - probably > 5,000 IU,
  Calcitriol - which bypasses the need for the kidney to activate vitamin D
    Problems with Calcitriol however: typically only lasts for a few hours, also, possible complications
      Update: Pre-cursor of active vitamin D made from plants is better than calcitriol – Sept 2012
• Category Kidney and Vitamin D contains 193 items