title: Efficacy of high-dose vitamin D supplementation in the critically ill patients.
abstract: Vitamin D deficiency and its adverse skeletal sequelae are well recognized in the general population. Recent observation of high prevalence of low vitamin D states and their associations with worse clinical outcomes in critically ill populations have sparked interest in the role of supplementation for these patients. High-dose vitamin D efficaciously increases serum levels, but its impact on clinical outcome has not been examined. This article will review results from observational studies on prevalence and outcomes of hypovitaminosis D in critically ill patients, as well as caveats of vitamin D interventional trials. Improved understanding of vitamin D metabolism in critical illness will clarify the therapeutic potential of this pleiotropic hormone and facilitate implementation of cost-effective clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Research Core, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Perron
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D