How Much Vitamin D3 Do the Elderly Need?

How Much Vitamin D₃ Do the Elderly Need?

Heli T. Viljakainen, MSc, Anette Palssa, MSc, Merja Kärkkäinen, PhD, Jette Jakobsen, MSc and Christel Lamberg-Allardt, PhD

Calcium Research Unit, Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FINLAND
Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Søborg, DENMARK

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Fig. 1. The correlation between the dietary intake of vitamin D (calculated by FFQ) and S-25-OHD concentration at baseline. Line presents Pearson correlation, r = 0.415, p = 0.003.

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Fig. 2. S-25-OHD concentrations for the four study groups are presented with separate lines. Symbols (•) 0, (*) 5, ( ${blacktriangleup}$ ) 10 and ( ${blacksquare}$ ) 20 µg/d represent mean values at each time-point and the error bars 1 SEM. At two weeks time-point all supplemented groups differed from the placebo (repeated measures ANOVA; p < 0.001). The plateau was reached after six weeks in every supplemented group and the concentration did not increase any further. All reached plateaus differed from the placebo group (ANOVA; p < 0.001).

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Fig. 3. The box-plot figure of the final 25-OHD concentration in each sub-group. The grey boxes present the lower subgroup which initial 25-OHD was 35.4 (7.9) nmol/L. The white boxes are for higher sub-group which initial 25-OHD was 58.5 (10.2) nmol/L. Subjects in the higher sub-group reached higher final 25-OHD concentration with each supplementation when compared to lower sub-group; p at least 0.03.

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Fig. 4. The correlation between the S-25-OHD concentration at baseline and dose-response. Line presents Pearson correlation, r = –0.513, p = 0.002.

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Fig. 5. S-iPTH concentration is presented for each of the four subject groups. Symbols (•) 0, (*) 5, ( ${blacktriangleup}$ ) 10 and ( ${blacksquare}$ ) 20 µg/d represent mean values at each time-point and the error bars 1 SEM.