Bone Abstracts

Objective: To find whether treatment with cholecalciferol and calcium in a group of vitamin D deficient women is associated with changes in muscular function, musculoskeletal pain, and fatigue.

Design: Prospective interventional cohort study.

Sample: A study group of 25 post partum women recruited and diagnosed with hypovitaminosis D during pregnancy.

Setting: The study group was recruited 2006–2009 at two mother care units in the south of Stockholm, Sweden. The investigations took place at the Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge. The study has been approved by the Local Ethics Committee and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Methods: Investigations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), parathyriod hormone (PTH), performance on chair stand test, pain as measured by visual analogue scale (VAS), bone tenderness by pressure algometer, and self assessed fatigue, before and after a treatment period of three months. The treatment consisted of 800–1600 IU cholecalciferol and 500–1000 mg calcium. Statistical analysis compared the results before and after treatment.

Main outcome measures: Differences of means, and P -values from the analysis of the investigations.

Results: Of the 25 women 21 attended in the treatment and follow-up. Following treatment the women had lower pain assessed on VAS, and higher performance on chair stand test, lower PTH and higher 25(OH)D, compared to before treatment.

Conclusions: In this small cohort of vitamin D deficient immigrant women treatment was associated with higher muscular performance and less musculoskeletal pain. In young and healthy women a short treatment period of a moderate dose of cholecalciferol can lead to improved vitamin D status. Vitamin D treatment should be considered in risk groups.