Table 1: Baseline characteristics of patients included in the meta-analysis.

Study

Country

Treatment regimen

No. of patients

♀ Female/

♂ Male

Age (Mean, SD)

BMI1

(Mean, SD)

Vitamin D3 (ng/ml)

(Mean, SD)

 

Sanghi

2013

 

India

 

60.000 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=103

VD3=52

PL4=51

 

 

66♀ and 37♂

VD (30♀/21♂)

PL (36♀/16♂)

 

VD2: 53.24 (9.64)

PL3: 53.00 (7.44)

 

VD: 25.86 (2.46)

PL: 25.65 (2.58)

 

VD: 14.812 (3.012)

PL: 15.008

(3.012)

 

McAlindon 2013

 

USA

 

2.000 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=146

VD=73

PL=73

 

 

89♀ and 57♂

VD (49♀/24♂)

PL (40♀/33♂)

 

VD: 61.8

(7.7)

PL: 63.0 (9.3)

 

VD: 30.5 (5.0)

PL: 30.8 (6.4)

 

VD: 22.7 (11.4)

PL: 21.9 (1.7)

 

Jin

2016

 

Australia

 

50.000 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=413

VD=209

PL=204

 

 

208♀ and 205♂

VD (106♀/103♂)

PL (102♀/102♂)

 

VD: 63.5

(6.9)

PL: 62.9 (7.2)

 

VD: 29.6 (5.4)

PL: 29.6 (4.6)

 

VD: 17.48 (4.72)

PL: 17.52

(5.08)

 

Arden

2016

 

UK

 

800 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=474

VD=237

PL= 237

 

 

289♀ and 185♂

VD (144♀/93♂)

PL (145♀/92♂)

 

VD: 64

(8)

PL: 64

(8)

 

VD: 30

(5)

PL: 29

(5)

 

VD: 20.7 (8.9)

PL: 20.7 (8.1)

 

Zheng

2017

 

Australia

 

50.000 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=340

CI=46

FL=68

CS=226

 

160♀ and 180♂

CI (24♀ and 22♂)

FL (38♀/30♂)

CS (98♀/128♂)

 

CI4:62.6 (8.0)

F5: 62.9 (6.1)

CS6: 63.5

(7.2)

 

CI: 30.6 (4.6)

F: 29.0 (4.5)

CS: 29.4 (4.9)

 

CI: ≤ 20 ng/ml

F: > 20 ng/ml at either point

CS: > 20 ng/ml at both months 3 and 24.

 

Wang

2017

 

Australia

 

50.000 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=413

VD=209

PL=204

 

 

208♀ and 205♂

VD (106♀/103♂)

PL (102♀/102♂)

 

VD: 63.55 (6.88)

PL: 62.55 (7.22)

 

VD: 29.57 (5.39)

PL: 29.64 (4.62)

 

VD: 17.496

(4.72)

PL: 17.524

(5.06)

 

Zheng

2018

 

Australia

 

50.000 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=200

VD=106

PL=94

 

 

107♀ and 93♂

VD (53♀/53♂)

PL (54♀/40♂)

 

VD: 63.3

(7.5)

PL: 62.8 (7.3)

 

VD: 29.4

(7.5)

PL: 29.6 (4.0)

 

VD: 17

(4.68)

PL: 17.4

(5.04)

 

Barker

2019

 

USA

 

4.000 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=29

VD=14

PL=15

 

16♀ and 13♂

VD (8♀/7♂)

PL (8♀/6♂)

 

VD: 51.1

(1.16)

PL: 46.8 (2.7)

 

VD: 32.9 (1.7)

PL: 31.6 (1.4)

 

VD: 27.5

(1.5)

PL: 27.5

(1.5)

 

Perry

2019

 

 

UK

 

800 IU daily vitamin D3, Placebo.

 

N=50

VD=24

PL=26

 

37♀ and 13♂

VD (17♀/7♂)

PL (20♀/6♂)

 

VD: 63.0

(5.8)

PL: 63.6 (7.2)

 

VD: 28.2 (4.0)

PL: 29.2 (5.6)

 

VD: 26.6

(8.5)

PL: 25.3 (8.7)

1BMI: Body Mass Index; 2VD: Vitamin D group; 3PL: Placebo group; 4CI: Consistently Insufficient; 5F: Fluctuating; 6CS: Consistently Sufficient.