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Vitamin D DeficiencyPhase 4NCT01437696

How Much Vitamin D is Required to be Protective Against Deficiency During the Winter Months?

A Phase 4 study testing Vitamin D in people with Vitamin D Deficiency, run by McGill University at 1 site in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Vitamin D is essential to bone health. In Canada, it is obtained by sunlight exposure of the skin (between April and October) or by a few foods such as fatty fish, eggs or fortified milk and margarine. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 70 years and older, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Vitamin D Deficiency
What is being tested?
Vitamin D
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
77 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
Oct 2011to May 2014
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 70 years and older
  • Men only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • All Veterans over the age of 70 years will be invited to participate given selection and exclusion criteria. Level 1, 2 and 3 care will comprise the recruitment pool. These levels of care permit such investigation and do not include those in palliative conditions.
  • Individuals with chronic diseases will be permitted to participate as long as the disease is not end-stage (ie prognosis of more than 4 months).
  • Not excluding co-morbidities or poor cognition is consistent with the work of others in the area.
  • Lastly combined oral and enteral feeding modes will be included since the majority quickly transition to foods but some do take a meal-replacement/liquid supplement.

Who cannot join

  • End-stage renal disease due to altered vitamin D metabolism and use of vitamin D analogues
  • End-stage liver disease
  • Untreated hyperparathyroid conditions such as cancer and metabolic bone disease except for osteoporosis and osteomalacia
  • Any condition that requires enteral feeding alone as feeding route will be excluded since this oral intake, even if only partial, is a critical measurement.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site
  • Ste. Anne's Hospital

    Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X1Y9

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: How Much Vitamin D is Required to be Protective Against Deficiency During the Winter Months? - An Investigation in Veterans Living at Ste-Anne's Hospital

Vitamin D is essential to bone health. In Canada, it is obtained by sunlight exposure of the skin (between April and October) or by a few foods such as fatty fish, eggs or fortified milk and margarine. This study has 3 main goals which are to determine if Veteran's have enough vitamin D stored in their body, if adding a supplement of 2000 IU/d is enough to correct low vitamin D stores and, if specially formulated foods using an approved vitamin D supplement, are appropriate to maintain vitamin D stores in relation with functional and cognitive status. Initially, a 2000 IU supplement of vitamin D will be provided for 8 weeks. After this period, the participants will be randomly separated into 3 groups (Group A, B or C) for a period of 24 weeks. Group A will receive their usual menu. Group B will receive their usual menu with 1 portion of food containing 500 IU of added vitamin D. Group C will receive their usual menu with 1 portion of food containing 1000 IU of added vitamin D. Food intake will be assessed every 8 weeks and blood samples will be taken every 4 weeks to monitor change in blood concentration of vitamin D and other indicators of bone health. The investigators will document weight and height, hand grip strength, the mid-arm and mid-calf circumferences, the capacity to perform activities of daily living, the number of prescriptions and changes in health condition. The investigators will also take an X-ray the tibia and upper arm to document the amount and quality of bones in those regions. A total of 60 veterans of Ste-Anne's Hospital will participate in this study. Knowing more about vitamin D status and intake will help in confirming the required vitamin D recommendations for the elderly men living in long-term care institutions.

Read the detailed description

The main objectives of the proposed 2 phase-protocol in aged Canadian veterans (n=60) are to evaluate the impact of 2000 IU/day of vitamin D3 supplementation (tablets or liquid form) on correcting low vitamin D status and the associated impact on biochemistry, bone health markers and markers of inflammation in a Fall period (Before and After, 8 weeks) and, 2) evaluate which food-based supplementation will maintain vitamin D3 status thereafter from winter through spring by measuring serum 25(OH)D concentration following intake of vitamin D delivered (with liquid form vitamin D3) using foods as the vehicle providing an additional 1000 IU/day or 500 IU/day compared to regular meals offered at Ste-Anne's Hospital (SAH) (Randomized Controlled Trial, 3 groups, 24 weeks). Anthropometry (weight, height, BMI, mid-arm and mid-calf circumferences), grip strength, biochemical markers of bone health (25(OH)D, PTH, calcium, ionized calcium and phosphate), assessments of cognitive and functional status (Mini-Mental State Evaluation, Frail Elderly Functional Assessment, Physiotherapy Functional Mobility Profile and Pain Assessment Checklist) as well as volumetric bone mineral density using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) will be gathered.

The long-term goal of the research program is to use novel food-delivery systems and approaches to enhancing vitamin D intake that meets the needs of this population. For years, medications have been delivered through foods but few studies have applied this to natural health products such as vitamin D. In chronic care, the number of prescription pills is high often 13 or more not accounting for multiple administrations over a day. Further documentation of health related indicators such as capacity to perform daily activities and chronic pain intensity would relate to quality of life and improve our understanding of vitamin D in more than bone health related issues. The reality of long-term care facilities (financial, human and material resources) needs to be addressed for the newly developed delivery modes to meet the needs of these residents and the projected increase in care required for our aging Canadian population. Large scale interventions will need to take place to give more insight on efficacy and efficiency of this new food delivery approach.

Being tested
Vitamin D, placebo
Keywords
Aging, Vitamin D, Bone health, Inflammation, Men
Medical subject headings
Vitamin D Deficiency, Inflammation, Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Vitamin DDietary supplement

    A liquid cholecalciferol at a dosage of 500IU will be added to a specific food and provided to the participants once a day for 24 weeks.

  • Vitamin DDietary supplement

    A liquid cholecalciferol at a dosage of 1000IU will be added to a specific food and provided to the participants once a day for 24 weeks.

  • placeboOther

    No liquid cholecalciferol will be added to the food.

Study groups in NCT01437696
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Vitamin D fortified food 500 IUExperimentalOne portion of a specific food item will be provided each day. 500 IU Vitamin D added.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D
Vitamin D fortified food 1000 IUExperimentalOne portion of a specific food item will be provided each day. 1000 IU Vitamin D added.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorOne portion of a specific food item will be provided each day. No vitamin D added.
Receives: Other: placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in 25(OH)D plasma concentrations

    Fasted morning blood samples will be taken monthly for assessment of 25(OH)D plasma concentrations.

    Measured: Baseline and following 8 weeks of the observation phase. Also following 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months of the active supplementation phase.

  2. Changes in Vitamin D intake from foods and supplements

    Using food records, vitamin intake will be assessed for 3 days. The records will be collected by a registered dietitian.

    Measured: Baseline and following 8 weeks of the observation phase. Also following 2, 4 and 6 months of the active supplementation phase.

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Change in bone mineral density

    Using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) bone mineral density will be assessed for the radius and tibia.

    Measured: Baseline and following 6 months of the active supplementation phase (32 week timepoint).

  2. Changes in functional mobility

    Functional mobility will be assessed using grip strength, frail elderly functional assessment (FEFA) and physiotherapy functional mobility profile (PFMP). The assessments will be conducted by the doctoral student and a physiotherapist.

    Measured: Baseline and following 32 weeks of study involvement

  3. Change in chronic pain over time

    Chronic pain will be assessed using PACSLAC: Pain Assessment Checklist for Seniors with Limited Ability to Communicate.

    Measured: Baseline and following 8 weeks of the observation phase. Also following 6 months of the active supplementation phase (32 week timepoint).

  4. Changes in biochemistry measurements during the study period

    Fasted morning blood sample will be taken to assess calcium, ionized calcium, phosphate, glucose, sodium, potassium, albumin, hemoglobin, and total protein.

    Measured: Baseline and following 8 weeks of the observation phase. Also following 2, 4 and 6 months of the active supplementation phase.

  5. Changes in inflammatory markers and bone metabolism markers

    Fasted morning blood sample will be taken to assess inflammatory markers: CRP, IL-6, IL-12, IL-14, and TNF alpha. Bone metabolism will be assessed by CTX and osteocalcin.

    Measured: Baseline and following 8 weeks of the observation phase. Also following 2, 4 and 6 months of the active supplementation phase.

  6. Change in PTH

    Fasted morning blood samples will be taken monthly for assessment of PTH plasma concentrations.

    Measured: Baseline and following 8 weeks of the observation phase. Also following 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months of the active supplementation phase.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Sep 2011 (estimated)
  2. Study startOct 2011
  3. Primary completionMay 2014
  4. Study completionMay 2014

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
77 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01437696
Sponsor's protocol ID
HW-11-02
Status last verified
Sep 2014
First submitted
15 Sep 2011
Last updated
5 Sep 2014
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Vitamin D in people with Vitamin D Deficiency, run by McGill University at 1 site in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Sep 2014. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in 25(OH)D plasma concentrations (time frame: Baseline and following 8 weeks of the observation phase. Also following 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months of the active supplementation phase.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Sep 2014.

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