Vitamin D levels of seniors restored with 50,000 IU weekly for 8 weeks – April 2014

Hypovitaminosis D: Which oral supplement therapy?

The journal of nutrition, health & aging, April 2014, Volume 18, Issue 4, pp 449-450
Walter Verrusio walter.verrusio at uniroma1.it (1) (2); P. Andreozzi (1); M. L. Summa (1); V. Marigliano (2); N. Gueli (1); M. Cacciafesta (1)
1. Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrologic, Anesthesiologic and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy
2. Interdipartimental Research Center “Science of Aging”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

Objectives
the possible therapeutic role of vitamin D in different kind of diseases explains the growing interest in this vitamin due to its pleiotropic effects. This short report shows preliminary results of prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in a group of patients and proposes a oral supplement therapy effective in correcting hypovitaminosis in a short time, without side effects.
Methods
243 patients (aged 26–93; 67 males) were enrolled at this study. We evaluated plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D with the following cut-off values: < 10ng/ml or <0–25 nmol/L (deficient), 10–30 ng/ml or 25–75nmol/L 30–50 (insufficient) and > 30 ng/ml or > 50 nmol/L (normal). The first 73 patients with hypovitaminosis D received at baseline 25,000 IU (Cholecalciferol) per os twice a month (Tp.A). The next patients (Tp.B) at baseline received a loading dose of 50,000 IU once a week for 8 weeks, followed by a maintenance dose of 25,000 IU twice a month.
Results
hypovitaminosis D is a widespread condition (i.e. 82.3%) not only in elderly (75.6% of 75 patients aged <65 yrs and 86.5% of 168 subjects aged >65 yrs). Preliminary results at 6 months show that Tp.B is more effective in correcting hypovitaminosis D (baseline 14.4 ± 5.3 ng/ml; 24 wk 43.3 ± 14.7 ng/ml; p<0.0001).
Conclusion
hypovitaminosis D is an important public health problem. We believe it is important to quickly achieve normal Vit. D plasma values in order to produce pleiotropic effects.

14 ng ==> 43 ng with 8 weeks @ 50,000 IU then 25,000 IU once every 2 weeks (how long?)

References

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Publisher wants $45 for the PDF

400,000 IU is a very common loading dose to quickly restore vitamin D levels

Loading doses are givenover 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, or as slowly as this study – 8 weeks

400,000 dose does not weight very much

= 0.001 gram = 60X less than a single grain of salt

See also Vitamin D Life

• Overview Loading of vitamin D
• 400,000 IU of vitamin D reduced adult pain and improved quality of life – March 2014
• Guideline following hip fracture – 50000 IU vitamin D daily for 7 days – Jan 2013
• Normalize vitamin D safely within 1-2 weeks – June 2014
• Large single dose of more than 300,000 IU of vitamin D works well for 3 months – Review Nov 2013
• 600,000 IU vitamin D normalized virtually all seniors in 3 months (Injection better than oral)– May 2012
• Loading dose of 300,000 IU vitamin D every 6 months – Dec 2011
• 300,000 IU vitamin D helped seniors in many ways – May 2011
• Healthy in Seven Days - Loading dose of Vitamin D – book 2014 has the following chart:
  loading periods last from few days to a few weeks