Evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Clinical practice guideline based on task force expert consensus.
PubMed 21646368 · doi:10.1210/jc.2011-0385
What was done
An Endocrine Society Task Force comprising a chair, six clinical experts, and a methodologist developed clinical practice guidelines on the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency, focusing on high-risk patients. Recommendations were formulated using systematic reviews of evidence and finalized through iterative review by clinical committees, cosponsoring associations, and society members without corporate funding.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical cutoffs, dosage targets, or statistical estimates. The Task Force recommended measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D using a reliable assay as the initial diagnostic test in patients at risk for deficiency, supplementation within age- and risk-appropriate daily intake and tolerable upper limits, and treatment of deficiency with either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3. The panel concluded that current evidence does not support screening low-risk individuals or prescribing vitamin D for noncalcemic cardiovascular protection.
Why it matters
This guideline established standardized clinical recommendations prioritizing targeted testing and treatment for at-risk patients while setting boundaries against unproven noncalcemic uses and universal screening.
Limits
The abstract does not report specific numerical definitions for deficiency, recommended intake levels, or tolerable upper limits. As a consensus guideline, recommendations rely on panel synthesis rather than presenting new primary clinical trial data.
Cited by
- supports The Endocrine Society defines 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood levels below 20 ng/mL as deficient and below 30 ng/mL as insufficient based on the threshold where parathyroid hormone begins to elevate.