Effectiveness and Safety of Vitamin D₃ Supplementation in Adults: Insights from an Indian Retrospective Analysis
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Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin D₃ supplementation in vitamin D-deficient Indian adults. Design: Retrospective, multi-center, observational study. Methods: Medical records of 8,685 patients were reviewed for demographics, comorbidities, baseline and post-supplementation serum vitamin D levels, perceived health improvement, and adverse events. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were performed. Results: Mean age was 53.7 years (SD = 12.3); common comorbidities included diabetes (14.6%) and hypertension (7.9%). Serum vitamin D increased significantly from 18.6 to 33.9 ng/mL (p < 0.001). All patients received 60,000 IU weekly for up to 12 weeks, followed by 1,000 IU daily maintenance. Significant improvements were seen only with ≥8 weeks of supplementation. Post-therapy, 32.1% reported excellent and 35.8% very good overall health. No adverse events occurred in 98.1%; mild, transient effects were reported in 1.6%. Conclusion: Vitamin D₃ supplementation significantly improved serum vitamin D levels with meaningful benefits observed only after at least 8 weeks of therapy, with a favourable short-term safety profile, supporting its use in managing vitamin D deficiency in Indian adults.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Bedi G. S., Phanghate A. N., Madkholkar N., Chaudhari V. L., Sharma A. D.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons License All articles published in Annals of Medicine and Medical Sciences are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Bedi G. S., Senior Consultant Orthopeadic Surgeon, Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Senior Consultant Orthopeadic Surgeon, Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Phanghate A. N., Professor and Head of Unit, Department of Orthopedics, Seth GSMC and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Professor and Head of Unit, Department of Orthopedics, Seth GSMC and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Madkholkar N., Medical Advisor, Alkem Laboratories, Mumbai-400013, Maharashtra, India.
Medical Advisor, Alkem Laboratories, Mumbai-400013, Maharashtra, India.
Chaudhari V. L., Senior Medical Advisor, Alkem Laboratories, Mumbai- 400013, Maharashtra, India.
Senior Medical Advisor, Alkem Laboratories, Mumbai- 400013, Maharashtra, India.
Sharma A. D., President and Chief Medical Officer, Alkem Laboratories, Mumbai- 400013, Maharashtra, India.
President and Chief Medical Officer, Alkem Laboratories, Mumbai- 400013, Maharashtra, India.
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