Vitamin D Supplementation and Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

They didn't even seem to test for Vitamin D deficiency prior to starting. Bad research.

Vitamin D Supplementation and Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial 

Ryo Momosaki ^1,*, Masahiro Abo ² and Mitsuyoshi Urashima ³

¹

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine University Hospital, Mizonokuchi, 5-1-1 Futako, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-8507, Japan

²

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8, Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan

³

Division of Molecular Epidemiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8, Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nutrients 2019, 11(6), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061295

Received: 20 April 2019 / Revised: 3 June 2019 / Accepted: 6 June 2019 / Published: 7 June 2019

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vitamin D in Health and the Prevention and Treatment of Disease)

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Abstract

Low vitamin D levels are associated with poorer outcomes after stroke. However, it is not clear whether post-stroke vitamin D supplementation can improve these outcomes. In this study, we investigated the effects of vitamin D supplementation on outcomes in hospitalized patients undergoing rehabilitation after acute stroke. A multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group trial was conducted from January 2012 through July 2017. One hundred patients admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward after having an acute stroke were randomized, and each one received either vitamin D3 (2000 IU/day) or a placebo. The primary outcome was a gain in the Barthel Index scores at week 8. Secondary outcomes were seen in Barthel Index efficiency, hand grip strength, and calf circumference at week 8. Ninety-seven patients completed the study. There were no significant differences in the demographic characteristics between the groups. The mean (±standard deviation) gain in the Barthel Index score was 19.0 ± 14.8 in the supplementation group and 19.5 ± 13.1 in the placebo group (p = 0.88). The Barthel Index efficiency was 0.32 ± 0.31 in the supplementation group and 0.28 ± 0.21 in the placebo group (p = 0.38). There were no between-group differences in the other secondary outcomes. Our findings suggest that oral vitamin D3 supplementation does not improve rehabilitation outcomes after acute stroke. View Full-Text

Keywords: stroke; vitamin D supplementation; rehabilitation

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