Effectiveness of vitamin D2 supplementation on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and other metabolic indices in menopausal Thai women: a randomized-controlled trial

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of vitamin D2 supplementation with ergocalciferol on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level and other cardio-metabolic indices in menopausal Thai women. Materials and methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the menopause clinic of a university hospital in Thailand from May 2017 to 2018. Participants were 80 postmenopausal women randomly assigned to treatment (N = 40, receiving vitamin D2 40,000 IU/week) or control (N = 40, receiving placebo) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was hsCRP level, and secondary outcomes were cardio-metabolic profiles and 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease using the Framingham risk score. The changes from baseline to week-12 (Δ) of all outcomes were analyzed using a modified intention-to-treat (ITT) population. Results: The vitamin D2 (N = 39) and placebo (N = 37) groups were comparable in all baseline characteristics. The hsCRP level was significantly reduced in the vitamin D2 group (Δ of −0.39 ± 1.30 mg/L, p =.024) but not in the placebo group (Δ of −0.15 ± 1.15 mg/L, p =.521). However, the Δ of hsCRP had no statistical difference between groups; neither did the Δ of other cardio-metabolic parameters. Conclusion: In menopausal Thai women, vitamin D2 supplementation with ergocalciferol 40,000 IU/week for 12 weeks can reduce hsCRP level; and the treatment might be superior to placebo. However, the hsCRP levels after 12 weeks between both groups were not statistically different. Clinical Trial Registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20161216001).