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Randomized Vitamin D Supplementation In Vitamin D Deficient Obese Children From West Virginia, Yoram Elitsur Md, Deborah L. Preston

Yoram Elitsur

Objective: Vitamin D (Vit D) deficiency is a very common problem in obese children, but clinical guidelines for maintenance or treatment have not been published for this population. The aim was to assess the benefit of 2 months Vit D supplementation given to deficient obese children from WV. Design: Vit D deficient obese children were prospectively recruited. Exclusion criteria included <8 years, and medical conditions that may affect Vit D homeostasis. Participants were randomized into two supplement groups: 5,000IU/day (Group A) or 50,000IU/week (Group B). Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured at baseline and post-treatment. Results: Sixty obese children were screened of whom 39 (65%) were deficient (<20ng/ml). Of the 39 recruited, 26 completed the study. The mean serum 25(OH)D after 2 months treatment were significantly higher in Group B (p= 0.02), but most reached normal levels (>30ng/ml). Conclusions: Two months Vit D supplementation (5000IU/day or 50,000IU/week) was sufficient to normalize 25(OH)D levels in Vit D deficient obese West Virginian children.