title: Efficacy of vitamin D loading doses on serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels in school going adolescents: an open label non-randomized prospective trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) among adolescents is a major health problem in India. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of therapeutic/loading doses of vitamin D supplementation on serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) levels in vitamin D deficient adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 482 out of the 511 subjects recruited for the study were divided into three groups, each group receiving 60,000 IU of vitamin D3 weekly for 4, 6 and 8 weeks followed by 600 IU daily for 12 weeks, respectively. Clinical evaluation was followed by estimation of biochemical markers and serum 25OHD levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VDD was observed in 94.8% of adolescents. All three vitamin D loading doses were equally efficacious in achieving vitamin D sufficiency >75 nmol/L (>30 ng/mL) in more than 90% subjects in the three groups. Mean 25OHD levels in groups 2 and 3 following maintenance therapy were 67.5±16.5 nmol/L (27.0±6.6 ng/mL) and 70.0±21.8 nmol/L (28.0±8.7 ng/mL), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supplementing 60,000 IU of vitamin D3 per week for 4-8 weeks, followed by 600 IU daily through fortified milk, is an effective strategy for achieving vitamin D sufficiency in Indian adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Army Hospital (Research and Referral), Delhi Cantonment, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Raman K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Marwaha
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khadgawat
authors.forename: Rekha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramot
authors.forename: Avneet Kaur
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Obroi
authors.forename: Neena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mehan
authors.forename: Nandita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D