Vitamin D guidelines: No extra supplements needed for healthy adults under 75

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 7, 2024 19:11 IST

Healthy adults under 75 are unlikely to benefit from taking more than the daily recommended intake of vitamin D, according to new Clinical Practice Guidelines from the US Endocrine Society.

The guidelines also state that routine testing for vitamin D levels is "unnecessary" for these individuals.

The daily recommendation for vitamin D is 600 IU per day for people aged 1 to 70 years old. For those older than 70 years, the recommendation is 800 IU per day.

The guidelines recommend higher vitamin D intake for specific groups, including children, pregnant individuals, adults over 75, and those with high-risk prediabetes, surpassing the daily allowance suggested by the Institutes of Medicine (IOM).

Vitamin D has been linked to numerous health conditions, but the effectiveness of supplementation in reducing disease risk and the optimal blood levels for health have been debated.

This guideline, based on clinical trials, aims to clarify vitamin D use and testing in healthy individuals without conditions requiring vitamin D treatment.

Published online and set to appear in the August 2024 issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), the guideline addresses vitamin D needs for disease prevention in generally healthy populations.

"The goal was to determine the vitamin D requirements for a healthy population without conditions that impair vitamin D absorption or action," said Dr. Marie Demay of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, who chaired the panel.

"Higher doses may benefit those 75 and older, pregnant people, adults with prediabetes, and children and adolescents, but we do not recommend routine vitamin D testing for any group," Dr Demay added.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY

• Healthy Adults Under 75: Avoid vitamin D supplements beyond IOM recommended doses.
• Children and Adolescents (18 and younger): Higher doses may prevent nutritional rickets and respiratory infections.
• Individuals 75 and Older: Higher doses may reduce mortality risk.
• Pregnant Individuals: Higher doses may lower risks of pre-eclampsia, intra-uterine mortality, preterm birth, and neonatal mortality.

• People with Prediabetes: Higher doses may reduce progression to diabetes.
• Adults 50 and Older with Vitamin D Indications: Prefer daily, lower-dose vitamin D over non-daily, higher doses.
• Routine Testing: No routine testing for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels is recommended, including for those with dark complexions or obesity, due to insufficient evidence of outcome-specific benefits.

Despite increased research on vitamin D's role in health over the past decade, the panel noted limitations in existing evidence.

Many large clinical trials were not designed to assess several reported outcomes, and populations studied often had adequate vitamin D levels initially. Therefore, the panel could not establish specific blood-level thresholds for adequacy or disease prevention.

The guideline was developed using rigorous methods, ensuring no conflicts of interest among panel leaders and a majority of conflict-free writing group members.

The Endocrine Society's Clinical Practice Guideline Program provides evidence-based recommendations for diagnosing, treating, and managing endocrine-related conditions, with all guidelines funded entirely by the Society.