Is daily supplementation with vitamin D2 equivalent to daily supplementation with vitamin D3 in the elderly?

The equivalence of cholecalciferol (D3) and ergocalciferol (D2) as well as their corresponding doses and administration route remain controversial to date. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of daily supplementation with 800 IU of D2 (drops) and D3 (pills) on 25-hydroxivitamin D (25OHD) levels (= 30 ng/ml). Twenty-one ambulatory postmenopausal women from Buenos Aires City with a mean (X ± SD) age of 77.1 ± 6.8 years were included. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: GD2 (n = 13): 800 IU (drops) and GD3 (n = 8): 800 IU (pills). Serum 25OHD levels were measured (RIA-DIASORIN) at baseline, and at 7, 28 and 45 days. Nineteen out of twenty one women showed deficient levels of 25OHD at baseline (< 20 ng/ml): GD2: 14.0 ± 4.8 ng/ml and GD3: 13.2 ± 4.9 ng/ml (NS). Whereas only GD3 exhibited an increase (≈ 25%) at 7 days, both groups showed a significant increase at the end of the study. However, neither attained adequate 25OHD levels (GD2: 17.4 ± 5.5 vs. GD3:22.9 ± 4.6 ng/ml; p < 0.001). Administration of 800 IU of vitamin D3 during 45 days was more effective than D2 in increasing 25OHD, but both failed to achieve adequate levels of 25OHD (= 30 ng/ml). but neither succeeded in achieving adequate levels of 25OHD (= 30 ng/ml).