Vitamin D and Calcium Study

Vitamin D aids in the body's ability to absorb calcium, it is a vital component in bone formation and break down. Reduced levels of vitamin D can indicate a vitamin deficiency and may depress serum calcium levels. The following is a list of common causes of vitamin D deficiency: lack of dairy products, alcohol usage, elderly, lack of exposure to sunlight, individuals with reduced mobility, GI malabsorption problems, dark complexion, severe liver damage, and renal failure. Many of these factors can be found in individuals with spinal cord injury. SCI results in disuse bone loss after acute injury, which continues with duration of injury. The goal of this study is to determine the effects of vitamin D and calcium supplements on calcium metabolism and vitamin D deficiency in individuals undergoing functional electrical stimulation (FES) stand retraining (SRT).

2000 IU/day Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and 1.3 g/day calcium carbonate will be taken for 15-20 weeks.

Inclusion Criteria: Spinal Cord Injury (paraplegia or quadriplegia) Vitamin D deficiency Absolute deficient Vitamin D [25(OH)D] < 16 ng/ml Relative deficient Vitamin D [25(OH)D] <30ng/ml - participation in the FES/SRT study at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation Exclusion Criteria: History of kidney stones History of bone disorders Currently pregnant