Posted Dec 27, 2009
U.S. researchers found 50,000 international units of vitamin D-2, given weekly for eight weeks, effectively treats vitamin D deficiency.
The study, published online in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, found continued treatment with the same dose of vitamin D-2 every other week for up to six years after the initial eight-week period prevents vitamin D deficiency from recurring, with no toxicity.
Senior author Dr. Michael F. Holick of Boston University School of Medicine said of the 86 patients researchers studied, 41 who were vitamin D-deficient received eight weeks of 50,000 IU of vitamin D-2 weekly prior to starting maintenance therapy. For those patients, the mean pre-treatment 25-hydroxyvitamin D status level was 19 nanograms per milliliter, which increased to 37 ng/ml after eight weeks of weekly therapy.
These patients were then treated with 50,000 IU of vitamin D-2 every other week and had a mean final level of 47 ng/ml, the study said.
URL: www.upi.com
