A study of vitamin D supplementation to patients with chronic diseases admitted to Ain Shams University Hospital

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency have become a common problem worldwide. Vitamin D has been associated with all causes of mortality in chronic diseases and associated with a longer hospital stay and poor outcome. Aim of the Study: to evaluate the role of vitamin D supplementation on the outcome of hospitalization for patients with CLD or CHF admitted to Ain Shams University Hospitals (ASUH) with acute deterioration of their illness. Subjects and methods: We conducted prospective case control on 80 patients collected from inpatient ward of endocrinology, divided into 2 groups; 40 patients with chronic liver diseases and 40 patients with heart failure. Serum 25OH-vitamin D and calcium, phosphate and PTH were measured to all participants before intervention. 20 patients of each group (Intervention group) received single dose of vitamin D within 3 days of admission and the other 20 patients of each group (control group) did not receive vitamin D vitamin D. Results: no significant difference between patients who received vitamin D supplementation and who did not receive vitamin D supplementation as regards outcome and survival with P value 1.000 in patients with CLD and 0.823 in patients with CHF. On the other hand, we found baseline vitamin D level was an independent predictor of mortality (P value .018). Conclusion: We found that a beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation can't be achieved with single dose vitamin D (200,000 IU) on CHF or CLD hospitalized patients’ mortality. We recommend that vitamin D supplementation should be considered in CLD and CHF outpatients, with exception of hypercalcemic and hyperphosphatemic patients, as baseline vitamin D status affects the disease course and mortality prior to disease deterioration and hospitalization.