Concerning effective and safe dosages of vitamin D3: mega-analysis of clinically effective studies as a basis for actual evidence

Abstract

The negative effects of hypovitaminosis D3 and vitamin D3 deficiency in 80% of Russians make eliminating vitamin D deficiency an issue of state concern. Hundreds of effective clinical studies showed realistic opportunities of vitamin D3 to help patients with disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, high levels of nonspecific inflammation, tuberculosis, and women with a higher risk of complications and pregnancy losses. Vitamin D3 supplements are essential for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of “bone” and “extraosseous” diseases. One of the most important aspects of the clinical uses of vitamin D3 is the dosage and dosage regimen of the vitamin. This paper presents the results of a “mega-analysis” of 3965 clinical studies of vitamin D3 in terms of the effectiveness of different dosages in achieving different clinical outcomes. It was shown that dosages of 2000 IU/day and 4000 IU/day correspond to the peak values of the effectiveness index, regardless of the diagnoses studied (mega-analysis of 420 randomized trials). Some effectiveness in the treatment of rickets, gestational diabetes, calcium metabolism disorders, disorders of bone density and structure, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue can be achieved using weekly dosages of 50,000 IU/week (mega-analysis of 196 studies). It has been shown that dosages of 100,000-1,000,000 IU, intended for a single dose once a month, are almost always found only among studies with a negative result (mega-analysis of 368 studies).