Assessment of dietary calcium intake of university students: a pilot study in Turkey

Efficacy and safety of single or consecutive double high-dose oral cholecalciferol supplementation in adult patients with vitamin D deficiency

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Enhancing vitamin D levels as a crucial modifiable risk factor may provide a critical contribution to prevent susceptibility to various diseases, including musculoskeletal, autoimmune, and inflammatory rheumatic diseases as well as promoting overall health. However, adherence to daily vitamin D supplementation is generally poor, and there are some concerns regarding the high-dose vitamin D supplementation's safety. We aimed to investigate whether a single oral dose of 300,000 IU or consecutive two-day dosing of 300,000 IU each day of cholecalciferol could sufficiently and safely elevate vitamin D levels.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 inpatients with vitamin D deficiency and various musculoskeletal diseases.Subjects with serum 25(OH)D levels between 10 and 20 ng/mL (mild to moderate deficiency) received a single oral dose of 300,000 IU cholecalciferol, while those with severe vitamin D deficiency (<10 ng/mL) were supplemented with consecutive two-day doses of 300,000 IU cholecalciferol (a total of 600,000 IU).

RESULTS

After one week of replacement therapy, the 25(OH)D levels increased from 6.3 (4.0-9.9) ng/mL to 53.3 (8.3-84.4) ng/mL and from 15.0 (10.1-19.6) ng/mL to 38.4 (16.3-67.7) in the group with severe and those with the mild-to-moderate vitamin D deficiency, respectively. Except for three patients, nearly all patients (98%) achieved levels above 20 ng/mL. No signs of toxicity were observed in any of the patients. During the 6-month follow-up, falls were observed in 3 patients (2.8%), but no fractures were reported.

CONCLUSION

A single dose of 300,000 IU of oral cholecalciferol or two consecutive doses with a total dose of 600,000 IU cholecalciferol can effectively and reliably increase the 25(OH)D serum levels within one week in nearly all patients. The results may contribute to optimizing treatment strategies for vitamin D deficiency and re-evaluating the potential negative impact of high-dose vitamin D supplementation.

Calcium intake in Colombia: are we still in deficit?

This study describes the median average intake of calcium in a population in Bogota, Colombia. Approximations on the possible reasons of low intake are listed.

INTRODUCTION

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) published in 2017 the Calcium Map. It is a review of the calcium intake of 74 countries, placing Colombia in the bottom three countries of the world, with a daily calcium intake of 297 mg per day. The present study determined the actual median average calcium intake of a sample from Bogota and described it using sociodemographic variables.

METHODS

In 2019, 450 anonymous volunteers who agreed to fill out the IOF Calcium Calculator survey were recruited. Measures of frequencies and percentage for qualitative variables were used, along with measures of central tendency with averages and dispersion for quantitative variables. Insufficient daily calcium intake was determined according to age, gender, and overall.

RESULTS

The median average intake was 726 mg/day. Population between 18 and 30 years old had the highest intake per day. There were no significant differences between genders: women had a median average calcium intake of 731 mg/day, and for men it was 717.5 mg/day. Intake was directly correlated with socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSIONS

Calcium intake in Colombia is low according to the age requirements and it is proportional to the socioeconomic status. Medical societies and national government should create policies in order to educate the general public and increase the intake of calcium based on diet.