Abstract
Aim: This study was designed to compare the efficacy of weekly and daily regimens of vitamin D3 in patients with vitamin D deficiency.
Settings and Design: A randomized clinical trial was conducted in the autumn and winter of 2016 and 2017, Hamadan, Iran.
Materials and Methods: A total of 130 patients with moderate to severe hypovitaminosis D were allocated into two groups: weekly 50,000 IU (routine recommended dose for vitamin deficiency treatment) or daily 4,000 IU (safe upper limit dose of vitamin D per day) of oral vitamin D3 for 8 and 14 weeks, respectively. The serum levels of 25-OH-vitamin D were measured in all patients at baseline and at the end of the treatment period.
Results: Results of this study showed that though both dosing regimens can be effective in increasing the serum level of 25-OH-vitamin D, higher percentage of the subjects in the daily regimen group achieved the sufficient serum level of 25-OH-vitamin D when compared to the weekly regimen group.
Conclusion: Accordingly, probably owing to better bioavailability of daily regimen of vitamin D3 and establishment of a more steady serum concentration compared with weekly regimen, it can be recommended as the preferred dosing regimen for effective treatment of vitamin D deficiency.
Keywords
Calciferol calcium 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 vitamin D vitamin D deficiency