Ĭholecalciferol undergoes two hydroxylation processes to activate it. Light energy is absorbed in the skin via 7-dehydrocholesterol, where the ultraviolet B (UVB) converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholecalciferol, an inactive vitamin D molecule. Ĭholecalciferol gets generated in the skin upon sun exposure. Īside from its known role in bone mineral metabolism, various studies have found a link between cholecalciferol supplementation and favorable prognoses of different diseases such as hypertension, type 1 and 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polycystic ovarian syndrome (POS), multiple sclerosis (MS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and various dermatologic diseases. The off-label indications for cholecalciferol include hypothyroidism, prevention of osteoporosis, and Vitamin D insufficiency/ deficiency in both healthy patients or those with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The labeled indication for cholecalciferol is dietary supplementation. During winter and in areas with minimal sun exposure, dietary supplementation is necessary for optimal musculoskeletal health. Its primary function is to maintain normal calcium and phosphate levels in the serum. 8 However, the authors concluded that there was likely no clinical significance between daily and weekly dosing, and that the lower cumulative dose may have accounted for the differences between dosing intervals.Cholecalciferol, also known as vitamin D3, is a secosteroid produced by the skin and can also be present in certain foods such as dairy products, eggs, and fish. A second RCT of 338 older adults receiving cumulative doses equivalent to 600 IU of cholecalciferol per day for more than four months found that mean serum vitamin D levels were greatest with daily dosing compared with weekly and monthly dosing (69.9 ng per mL, 67.2 ng per mL, and 53.1 ng per mL, respectively P <.

7 At two months, there was no significant difference among groups in the final vitamin D level (33.2 ± 8.5 ng per mL, 29.2 ± 8.9 ng per mL, and 37.1 ± 10.3 ng per mL, respectively). An RCT of 48 women 73 to 89 years of age compared daily (1,500 IU), weekly (10,500 IU), and monthly (45,000 IU) cholecalciferol repletion therapy with the same cumulative dose of 90,000 IU over two months.

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