Table 2.
Longer-term maintenance schedules of oral vitamin D based on body weight to maintain the levels above 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L) when the serum 25(OH)D concentrations are unknown.
| Bodyweight Category | Dose kg/Day (IU) |
Dose (IU) (Daily or Weekly) * | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Age) or Using BMI (for age > 18) (kg/Ht. M2) |
Average Body Weight (kg) |
Daily Dose (IU) | Once a Week (IU) | |
| (Age 1–5) | 5–13 | 70 | 350–900 | 3000–5000 |
| (Age 6–12) | 14–40 | 70 | 1000–2800 | 7000–28,000 |
| (Age 13–18) | 40–50 | 70 | 2800–3500 | 20,000–25,000 |
| BMI ≤ 19 | 50–60 (under-weight adult) |
60 to 80 | 3500–5000 | 25,000–35,000 |
| BMI < 29 | 70–90 (normal: non-obese) |
70 to 90 | 5000–8000 | 35,000–50,000 |
| BMI 30–39 | 90–120 (obese persons) # |
90 to 130 | 8000–15,000 | 50,000–100,000 |
| BMI ≥ 40 $ | 130–170 (morbidly obese) $ |
140 to 180 | 18,000–30,000 | 125,000–200,000 |
* Example of a daily or once-a-week dose range for adults with specific body types (based on BMI for white Caucasians and body weight for other ethnic groups). Appropriate dose reductions are necessary for children. # For those with chronic comorbid conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, COPD, CKD, depression, and osteoporosis, and to reduce all-cause mortality, higher doses of vitamin D are needed. For them, one can use the doses that are recommended for persons with obesity (BMI, 30–39: the third row). $ Those with multiple sclerosis, cancer, migraine headaches, and psoriasis, and those routinely taking medications such as anti-epileptic and anti-retroviral agents that significantly increase the catabolism of vitamin D should consider taking age-appropriate doses recommended for those with morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40; the higher end of the daily doses in the fourth row).