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Vitamin D supplementation in a nursing home population
Author(s) -
Schwalfenberg Gerry K.,
Genuis Stephen J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
molecular nutrition and food research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.495
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1613-4133
pISSN - 1613-4125
DOI - 10.1002/mnfr.200900601
Subject(s) - contraindication , medicine , vitamin d and neurology , nursing homes , population , vitamin , vitamin d deficiency , pediatrics , nursing , physiology , environmental health , alternative medicine , pathology
To determine if daily supplementation of 2000 IU of vitamin D 3 is able to normalize the 25(OH)D 3 status in a nursing home population, a group particularly prone to Vitamin D insufficiency. A chart review was performed to retrospectively determine the 25(OH)D 3 level in each nursing home patient ( N =68) who had received a minimum of 5 months of daily 2000 IU vitamin D 3 supplementation. 94.1% of nursing home residents had a 25(OH)D 3 level in excess of 80 nmol/L after a minimum of 5 months of daily 2,000 IU vitamin D 3 supplementation. No residents had 25(OH)D 3 levels in a toxic range. In order to improve health and well‐being and to preclude preventable morbidity and mortality associated with 25(OH)D 3 insufficiency, all nursing home patients without contraindication should be routinely supplemented with (at minimum) 2000 IU of vitamin D 3 on a daily basis.