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Minerals, trace elements, Vit. D and bone health

Vitamin D supplementation in a healthy, middle-aged population: actual practices based on data from a French comprehensive regional health-care database

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 67, pages 1133–1137 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:

The debate surrounding recommendations for vitamin D supplementation in middle-aged patients (that is, 20–60 years of age) with low serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is growing. Our aim was to describe practices regarding vitamin D supplementation in this age group, which are basically unknown.

SUBJECTS/METHODS:

We performed an analysis using exhaustive reimbursement data from the individuals in Rhône-Alpes area, a French region regrouping more than 6 million of inhabitants. The data were collected from the French Insurance Health-care System. Patients who were 20–60 years of age, had no severe comorbidities, had a 25(OH)D assay between 1 December 2008 and 31 January 2009 were identified. Those who received a subsequent prescription for vitamin D were included in this analysis. We described patterns of vitamin D supplementation by frequency and daily dose.

RESULTS:

The sample in this study included 1311 patients. The mean age was 47.7 years (s.d.: 9.5) and the median age was 50.2 years. Most of the participants (that is, 85.9%) were women. A total of 372 distinct prescription patterns for vitamin D supplementation were observed. The two most frequent (that is, 32.6% in total) involved a unique dispensation of a high dose of either 200 000 (17.5%) or 100 000 IU (15.1%). Most prescribed supplements were based on vitamin D3 (65%), and the most prescribed forms were high dose ampoules (81.6%). Only 48.9% of the participants were given a maintenance prescription after the initial loading phase.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results reveal a significant variability in the prescriptions for vitamin D supplementation from physicians in the French population. Moreover, less than half of the patients receive maintenance therapy after the initial loading phase of supplementation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank V Ambrosi, F Abbas and Dr MF Le Goaziou for their careful, critical review of earlier versions of this manuscript and their helpful comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pôle Information Médicale Evaluation Recherche, Unité d’Epidémiologie, Lyon, France

    P Caillet, A Reymondier & A M Schott

  2. Inserm U INSERM 1033 Pavillon F, Service de Rhumatologie and de Pathologie Osseuse, Immunologie Clinique Cancérologie Osseuse, Lyon, France

    P Caillet, R Chapurlat & A M Schott

  3. Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Laboratoire d'Explorations Fonctionnelles, Paris V University, Paris, France

    J C Souberbielle

  4. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    S B Jaglal

  5. Pharmacoepidemiology CHU-Lyon Faculte d'Odontologie Lyon 1 University 11 rue Guillaume Paradin, Lyon, France

    E Van Ganse

  6. Lyon 1 University, Equipe d’Accueil 4129, RECIF, Lyon, France

    A M Schott

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  1. P Caillet
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Correspondence to A M Schott.

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Caillet, P., Souberbielle, J., Jaglal, S. et al. Vitamin D supplementation in a healthy, middle-aged population: actual practices based on data from a French comprehensive regional health-care database. Eur J Clin Nutr 67, 1133–1137 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.182

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