SynthesisEuropean journal of clinical nutrition2025
Effect of cholecalciferol versus calcifediol on serum 25(OH)D concentrations: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Synthesis in European journal of clinical nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Calcifediol Suppressed Placental Inflammation and Improved Pregnancy Outcomes by Targeting JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway in Preeclampsia.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2026Article
- Integrative Vitamin D-Inflammatory-Coagulation Biomarker Index Predicts COVID-19 Severity: Development and Validation of the Vitamin D Inflammatory Burden Score (VDIBS).International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Weekly Calcifediol 100 µg in Vitamin D Deficient Patients.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Cholecalciferol vs. calcifediol supplementation on visceral adiposity in people with obesity: a real-world retrospective study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDeficiency in vitamin D is widely prevalent around the world. Oral vitamin D supplementation is suggested for older adults to sustain appropriate 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels throughout the year. At present, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) are the most commonly used compounds. Supplementation with calcifediol (25OHD3) rather than vitamin D itself should also be considered for the treatment. We performed a systematic review of the literature with a meta-analysis to assess the effects of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) compared to calcifediol (25OHD3) on increasing serum 25(OH)D levels.
methodsA search of online databases was performed electronically for all relevant observational published population-based studies until November 2023, without geographical restrictions. We included studies that directly compared the effects of cholecalciferol and calcifediol on increasing concentrations of serum 25(OH)D. Only papers in English or French languages were considered. Records were screened and data were retrieved through a standardized extraction process.
resultsSeventeen studies including 1575 participants were reviewed. Twelve intervention trials showed that, in spite of the dosage or the frequency of administration, calcifediol supplementation was more efficacious in raising serum 25(OH)D concentrations compared with cholecalciferol. Two studies showed that calcifediol and cholecalciferol were identically potent. According to three studies, cholecalciferol was more effective than calcifediol in raising 25(OH)D concentrations. A meta-analysis including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized trials revealed that calcifediol supplementation had a better impact on elevating serum 25(OH)D concentrations compared with the effect of cholecalciferol.
conclusionThis meta-analysis suggests that calcifediol is more effective in increasing serum 25(OH)D concentrations compared to cholecalciferol. Consequently, calcifediol may emerge as the preferred option for supplementation.
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Registered trials
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