Vitamin D deficiency and multicultural Australia

Glendenning, Paul; Mason, Rebecca S; Diamond, Terrence H

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04389.x

Topics

To the Editor: In a recent editorial, Mason and Diamond state that ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) is bioequivalent to cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and that 1000 IU/day of ergocalciferol is sufficient for the treatment of vitamin D deficiency.1 Both statements are contentious. Although ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) is the only single prohormonal form of vitamin D available on prescription in Australia, there are three reasons to be cautious about the use and dose equivalence of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) compared with cholecalciferol (vitamin D3).

1 Department of Core Clinical Pathology and Biochemistry, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA.
2 Department of Physiology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006.
3 Department of Endocrinology, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW.

Correspondence: paul.glendenning@health.wa.gov.au

Competing interests:

None declared.

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