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Calcifediol versus vitamin D3 effects on gait speed and trunk sway in young postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

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Abstract

Summary

In this double-blind RCT, 4-month treatment with calcifediol compared with vitamin D3 improved gait speed by 18 % among young postmenopausal women. Consistently, change in 25(OH)D blood levels over time were significantly correlated with improvement in gait speed in these women. No effect could be demonstrated for trunk sway.

Introduction

The aim of this study is to test the effect of calcifediol compared with vitamin D3 on gait speed and trunk sway.

Methods

Twenty healthy postmenopausal women with an average 25(OH)D level of 13.2 ng/ml (SD = ±3.9) and a mean age of 61.5 years (SD = ±7.2) were randomized to either 20 μg of calcifediol or 20 μg (800 IU) of vitamin D3 per day in a double-blind manner. At baseline and at 4 months of follow-up, the same physiotherapist blinded to treatment allocation tested 8-m gait speed and a body sway test battery (Sway star pitch and roll angle plus velocity while walking 8 m, and standing on both legs on a hard and soft surface). All analyses adjusted for baseline measurement, age, and body mass index.

Results

Mean 25(OH)D levels increased to 69.3 ng/ml (SD = ±9.5) in the calcifediol group and to 30.5 ng/ml (SD = ±5.0) in the vitamin D3 group (p < 0.0001). Women receiving calcifediol compared with vitamin D3 had an 18 % greater improvement in gait speed at 4-month follow-up (p = 0.046) adjusting for baseline gait speed, age, and body mass index. Also, change in gait speed was significantly correlated with change in serum 25(OH)D concentrations (r = 0.5; p = 0.04). Across three tests of trunk sway, there were no consistent differences between groups and no significant correlation between change in 25(OH)D serum concentrations and change in trunk sway.

Conclusions

Calcifediol improved gait speed in early postmenopausal women compared with vitamin D3 and change in 25(OH)D level was moderately correlated with improvement in gait speed. A benefit on trunk sway could not be demonstrated.

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Funding

This analysis was funded by the “Sarcopenia Centre Grant” of the Baugarten Foundation to the Centre on Aging and Mobility at the University of Zurich.

Conflicts of interest

Heike Bischoff-Ferrari has been an invited speaker/advisory boards by Nestlé, MSD, Roche, Amgen, WILD, Sanofi, and DSM Nutritional Products. The original trial has been supported by an investigator-initiated grant by DSM Nutritional Products. DSM Nutritional Products had no influence on the analysis presented in this paper, had no access to the data, and did not contribute to this manuscript in any way. Otto Meyer, Bess Dawson-Hughes, Eduard Sidelnikov, Andreas Egli, Daniel Grob, Hannes B Staehelin, Gudrun Theiler, Reto Kressig, Hans-Peter Simmen, and Robert Theiler declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geriatric Clinic, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    O. Meyer, E. Sidelnikov, A. Egli, G. Theiler & H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari

  2. Centre on Aging and Mobility, University Hospital Zurich and City Hospital Waid, Zurich, Switzerland

    O. Meyer, E. Sidelnikov, A. Egli, G. Theiler & H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari

  3. USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    B. Dawson-Hughes

  4. Acute Geriatric Care, City Hospital Waid, Zurich, Switzerland

    D. Grob

  5. Department of Geriatrics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    H. B. Staehelin & R. W. Kressig

  6. Department of Emergency Medicine and Traumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    H. P. Simmen

  7. Department of Rheumatology, Triemli City Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    R. Theiler

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  1. O. Meyer
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  11. H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. A. Bischoff-Ferrari.

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Meyer, O., Dawson-Hughes, B., Sidelnikov, E. et al. Calcifediol versus vitamin D3 effects on gait speed and trunk sway in young postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Osteoporos Int 26, 373–381 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-014-2949-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-014-2949-1

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