Supplemental Vitamin D and Calcium in the Management of African Americans With Heart Failure Having Hypovitaminosis D

Abstract Introduction A dyshomeostasis of macro- and micronutrients, including vitamin D and oxidative stress, are common pathophysiologic features in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). In African Americans (AA) with CHF, reductions in plasma 25(OH)D are of moderate-to- marked severity ( Methods Herein, a 14-week regimen: an initial 8 weeks of oral ergocalciferol (50,000 IU once weekly); followed by a 6-week maintenance phase of cholecalciferol (1400 IU daily); and a CaCO 3 (1000 mg daily) supplement given throughout was designed and tested. Fourteen AA patients having a dilated (idiopathic) cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction (EF, Results Reduced 25(OH)D at entry (14.4 ± 1.3 ng/mL) was improved ( P P P P Conclusions Thus, the 14-week course of supplemental vitamin D and CaCO 3 led to healthy 25(OH)D levels in AA with heart failure having vitamin D deficiency of moderate-to-marked severity. Albeit a small patient population, the findings suggest that this regimen may attenuate the accompanying secondary hyperparathyroidism and oxidative stress and improve ventricular function.