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	Vitamin D Repletion Regimen for Cystic Fibrosis Patients did not work

USA – The recently published vitamin D repletion regimen suggested by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Consensus Panel on Bone Health for replacing the vitamin in CF patients has been called by researchers who tested it “strikingly ineffective.” Out of 66 adults with CF, only 5 patients who had been treated with 50,000 international units of the vitamin per week for eight weeks had their serum levels corrected to the recommended degree.

Researchers have been considering other health issues unique to the adult CF population. One issue is bone health because studies of bone density have determined that despite a young age, approximately 20 to 25 percent of adults with CF have osteoporosis and another 40% have osteopenia. (Osteopenia is low bone volume due to inadequate replacement of bone loss from normal disintegration. Osteoporosis is abnormal loss of bone tissue, causing fragile bones that fracture easily.)

An adequate supply of vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium from food and incorporate it into bone. A deficiency of vitamin D leads to abnormal bone growth and repair. Of the 134 adults with CF in this study, 109 (81.3 percent) were found to have vitamin D levels below the recommended 30 ng/ml. The authors noted that further research is required to determine the optimal level of vitamin D needed in order for CF patients to maximize calcium absorption and maintain bone health.

Source: “Vitamin D Repletion Regimen For Cystic Fibrosis Patients Did Not Work.” American Thoracic Society Journal, July 2005 Issue 2.

Further Info: American Thoracic Society www.thoracic.org

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