Adverse events from large dose vitamin D supplementation taken for one year or longer

Abstract

In recent years, clinical trials increasingly have given large doses of vitamin D supplements to investigate possible health benefits beyond bone at high 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. However, there are few publications on the safety of high-dose vitamin D given long term. The study objective was to investigate the cumulative relative risk (RR) of total adverse events, kidney stones, hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria from ≥2800 IU/d vitamin D2 or D3 supplementation, followed for one year or more in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic review was conducted in Medline Ovid, EMBASE and Cochrane in March 2018 to update results of studies published since a previous review in October 2015. RCTs were included if they gave vitamin D2 or D3 at ≥2800 IU/d for at least one year and reported on total adverse events or at least one calcium-related adverse event. There were a total of 32 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, only 15 studies (3150 participants) reported one or more event of the outcomes of interest. Long-term high-dose vitamin D supplementation did not increase total adverse events compared to placebo in 1731 participants from 10 studies (RR\u2009=\u20091.05; 95% CI\u2009=\u20090.88, 1.24; p\u2009=\u20090.61), nor kidney stones in 1336 participants from 5 studies (RR\u2009=\u20091.26; 95% CI\u2009=\u20090.35, 4.58; p\u2009=\u20090.72). However, there was a trend for vitamin D to increase risk of hypercalcemia in 2598 participants from 10 studies (RR\u2009=\u20091.93; 95% CI\u2009=\u20091.00, 3.73; p\u2009=\u20090.05); while its effect on hypercalciuria in only 276 participants from 3 studies was inconclusive (RR\u2009=\u20091.93; 95% CI\u2009=\u20090.83, 4.46; p\u2009=\u20090.12). In conclusion, one year or longer supplementation with a large daily, weekly or monthly dose of vitamin D2 /D3 did not significantly increase a risk of total adverse events or kidney stones, although there was a trend towards increased hypercalcemia, and possibly for hypercalciuria.