Current perspectives of using vitamin D in clinical practice

S.V. Maltsev

Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russian Federation

An approach to problem solving in public health has revived interest to the prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency, its role in the pathogenesis of various disease, and strategies for treating vitamin D deficiency. The article presents updates on vitamin D metabolism — its classical and non-calcemic actions. The emphasis is made on the effects of its individual metabolites and other components of the vitamin D endocrine system, such as hydrolase, vitamin-D receptors, and vitamin-D-binding protein (VDBP). The functions of vitamin D are characterized as genomic and non-genomic, including immunomodulatory effect. In particular, the role of vitamin D in patients with COVID-19 is elucidated. The vitamin-D endocrine system plays a special role during pregnancy and in children of all age groups. The article highlights the latest data on vitamin D provision, individual variability in the responses to the same vitamin D dose, as well as the findings of a new research area relating to the content of vitamin D metabolites in food of animal origin. Also, it describes vitamin D intoxication which is usually linked to the impaired regulation of vitamin D metabolism. The clinical efficacy of cholecalciferol agents is demonstrated.

Keywords: cholecalciferol, vitamin D metabolism, vitamin D-endocrine system, pregnant women, children, adolescents, vitamin D provision, individual response to vitamin D, food of animal origin, vitamin D intoxication, hypervitaminosis D.

For citation: Maltsev S.V. Current perspectives of using vitamin D in clinical practice. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2022;5(3):244–252 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2022-5-3-244-252.