title: Vitamin D-deficiency in the elderly: treatment with ergocalciferol and hydroxylated analogues of vitamin D3.
abstract: The purpose of the present work was to study the effect of vitamin D and its metabolites in correcting hypovitaminosis D in the elderly. Thirty elderly people (mean age 78.4 years) participated in this study. They all had low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D), of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [24,25(OH)2D] and of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D]. These low levels did not increase in nine subjects after oral administration of vitamin D2 (3,000 IU/day for 12 weeks). However, administration of 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 (1 alpha-OH-D3) to 12 other subjects (0.5 micrograms/day for 8 weeks) led to a significant increase in the serum levels of 1,25(OH)2D. The other vitamin D metabolite levels remained unchanged. A significant increase in the levels of all three main vitamin D metabolites was obtained following administration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) to a third group of nine subjects (25 micrograms/day for 1 week). These results suggest that vitamin D nutrition in elderly people insufficently exposed to the sun could be maintained by regular administration of 25-OH-D, whereas the administration of native vitamin D (ergocalciferol) in the doses used was inadequate for vitamin D nutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shany
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chaimovitz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yagev
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bercovich
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Lowenthal
mesh_terms: D015650:24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000097:blood; D004100:Dihydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D004100:Dihydroxycholecalciferols; D004872:Ergocalciferols; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D015650:24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3; D002117:Calcitriol; D002112:Calcifediol