comparison of monthly and weekly doses of cholecalciferol in treatment of perimenopausal women with vitamin d deficiency

Background: women in their perimenopausal period should have an optimal vitamin d level. this study compared monthly versus weekly doses of cholecalciferol in treatment of perimenopausal women with vitamin d deficiency.methods: eighty 42-57 years old women with vitamin d deficiency were enrolled. half of the patients received bolus monthly oral doses and the other half of patients received weekly oral doses for four months. the vitamin d level was determined at the end of each month and one month after the end of the period of treatment. demographic and biochemicaldata were analyzed too.results: demographic information indicated absence of any significant difference between the two treatment groups. serum level of 25(oh)d3 in the monthly group ranged from 11.5±2.6 ng/ml to 48.6±4.8 ng/ml from baseline to day 111, whereas those in the weekly group ranged from 10.3±3.1 ng/ml to 46.9±6.3 ng/ml. on days 27, 55, 83, 111, and 150, there was no discernible difference in the fluctuations of 25(oh) d3 level between the two treatment groups; while the mean change from baseline between the two groups only became significant on day 13. between baseline and day 150, no significant alteration happened for biochemical markers. conclusion: weekly and monthly vitamin d dosages were equally effective in restoring normal level of 25(oh) d3 in perimenopausal women with vitamin d deficiency.