Biochemical characteristics and calcium and PTH levels of patients with high normal and elevated serum 25(OH)D levels in Turkey: DeVIT-TOX survey

Summary Vitamin D intake over the recommended dose is usually associated with high serum 25(OH)D levels and gener ally not associated with symptoms of hypercalcemia. High doses of cholecalciferol need to be avoided to protect against vitamin D toxicity and related complications. Strict adherence to the clinical guidelines for treating vitamin D defciency can ensure safe and efective treatment. Purpose We observed a tendency to use high doses of cholecalciferol for vitamin D defciency treatment or vitamin D supplementation. We aimed to determine the biochemical characteristics of patients with high normal and elevated serum 25(OH)D levels. Methods An online invitation was sent to all tertiary endocrinology clinics in Turkey to complete an online retrospective survey (DeVIT-TOX Survey) for patients diagnosed with high serum 25(OH)D levels (>88 ng/mL) between January 2019 and December 2019. The patients were evaluated according to the presence of signs and symptoms of hypercalcemia and doses of vitamin D intake, evaluated into the following three groups according to their 25(OH)D levels: group 1,>150 ng/ mL; group 2, 149–100 ng/mL; and group 3, 99–88 ng/mL. Results A total of 253 patients were included in the fnal analysis (female/male: 215/38; mean age, 51.5±15.6 years). The average serum 25(OH)D level was 119.9±33 (range, 88–455) ng/mL, and the average serum calcium level was 9.8±0.7 (range, 8.1–13.1) mg/dL. Most (n=201; 75.4%) patients were asymptomatic despite having high serum 25(OH)D and cal cium levels. The serum 25(OH)D level was signifcantly higher in the symptomatic groups than in the asymptomatic groups (138.6±64 ng/mL vs. 117.7±31 ng/mL, p<0.05). The most common cause (73.5%) associated with high serum 25(OH) D levels was the inappropriate prescription of a high dose of oral vitamin D (600.000–1.500.000 IU) for treating vitamin D defciency/insufciency in a short time (1–3 months). The cut-of value of 25 (OH) D level in patients with hypercalcemia was found to be 89 ng/mL [median 116.5 (89–216)]. Conclusions High dose of vitamin D intake is associated with a high serum 25 OH D level, without symptoms of hypercal cemia. Inappropriate prescription of vitamin D is the primary cause for elevated 25(OH) D levels and related hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia may not be observed in every patient at very high 25(OH) D levels. Adherence to the recommendation of guidelines is essential to ensure safe and efective treatment of vitamin D defciency

Quality of English-language videos available on YouTube as a source of information on osteoporosis

Osteoporosis awareness is essential for preventing osteoporotic fractures. Social media platforms have enormous potential to both support and deter patients’ decisions on healthcare. The current study demonstrated that the majority of YouTube videos on osteoporosis provide useful information with sufficient quality. Purpose: YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform for patients seeking online information about their medical condition. However, there are concerns regarding the accuracy and quality of YouTube content. We aimed to analyze the quality of English-language YouTube videos on osteoporosis. Methods: A YouTube search was performed on April 21, 2021, using the keywords “osteoporosis,” “osteoporosis exercise,” “osteoporosis diet,” and “osteoporosis treatment.” The reviewers recorded the content, source, and detailed characteristics of the included videos. The reliability and quality of the videos were analyzed using the modified DISCERN score and Global Quality Scale (GQS) score by a rheumatologist and endocrinologist. Results: Of the 400 videos screened, 238 were included in the study after applying the exclusion criteria. A total of 205 (86.1%) videos revealed useful information about osteoporosis whereas 33 (13.9%) were misleading. In terms of quality, 48% of the videos were of high quality, 34% were of moderate quality, and 18% were of low quality. The videos posted by universities and professional organizations had the highest modified DISCERN and GQS scores indicating high reliability and quality. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the majority of YouTube videos on osteoporosis contained useful information with sufficient quality. However, physicians should be aware of misleading information and correct any misinformation during face-to-face meetings with patients. YouTube should consider creating partnerships with professional organizations in the field of osteoporosis to produce high-quality videos in line with their new health content policy

Biochemical characteristics and calcium and PTH levels of patients with high normal and elevated serum 25(OH)D levels in Turkey: DeVIT-TOX survey

A Summary Vitamin D intake over the recommended dose is usually associated with high serum 25(OH)D levels and generally not associated with symptoms of hypercalcemia. High doses of cholecalciferol need to be avoided to protect against vitamin D toxicity and related complications. Strict adherence to the clinical guidelines for treating vitamin D deficiency can ensure safe and effective treatment. Purpose We observed a tendency to use high doses of cholecalciferol for vitamin D deficiency treatment or vitamin D supplementation. We aimed to determine the biochemical characteristics of patients with high normal and elevated serum 25(OH)D levels. Methods An online invitation was sent to all tertiary endocrinology clinics in Turkey to complete an online retrospective survey (DeVIT-TOX Survey) for patients diagnosed with high serum 25(OH)D levels (> 88 ng/mL) between January 2019 and December 2019. The patients were evaluated according to the presence of signs and symptoms of hypercalcemia and doses of vitamin D intake, evaluated into the following three groups according to their 25(OH)D levels: group 1, > 150 ng/mL; group 2, 149-100 ng/mL; and group 3, 99-88 ng/mL. Results A total of 253 patients were included in the final analysis (female/male: 215/38; mean age, 51.5 +/- 15.6 years). The average serum 25(OH)D level was 119.9 +/- 33 (range, 88-455) ng/mL, and the average serum calcium level was 9.8 +/- 0.7 (range, 8.1-13.1) mg/dL. Most (n = 201; 75.4%) patients were asymptomatic despite having high serum 25(OH)D and calcium levels. The serum 25(OH)D level was significantly higher in the symptomatic groups than in the asymptomatic groups (138.6 +/- 64 ng/mL vs. 117.7 +/- 31 ng/mL, p < 0.05). The most common cause (73.5%) associated with high serum 25(OH) D levels was the inappropriate prescription of a high dose of oral vitamin D (600.000-1.500.000 IU) for treating vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in a short time (1-3 months). The cut-off value of 25 (OH) D level in patients with hypercalcemia was found to be 89 ng/mL [median 116.5 (89-216)]. Conclusions High dose of vitamin D intake is associated with a high serum 25 OH D level, without symptoms of hypercalcemia. Inappropriate prescription of vitamin D is the primary cause for elevated 25(OH) D levels and related hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia may not be observed in every patient at very high 25(OH) D levels. Adherence to the recommendation of guidelines is essential to ensure safe and effective treatment of vitamin D deficiency

Efficacy and safety of folfiri plus aflibercept in second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: Real-life data from Turkish oncology group

Aims: The addition of aflibercept to the fluorouracil and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) regimen significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) previously treated with oxaliplatin. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of second-line FOLFIRI and aflibercept combination in patients with metastatic CRC in real-life experience. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and thirty-three patients who treated with FOLFIRI and aflibercept in the second-line were included in the study. The clinical and pathological features of the patients were recorded retrospectively. Survival (overall and progression-free survival [PFS]), response rates, and safety data were analyzed. Results: The median age was 61. Majority of patients (87.5%) received first-line bevacizumab and 10.1% of patients received anti-epidermal growth factor receptor agents. About 80% of patients had KRAS, 18.6% of patients had NRAS, and 6.4% of patients had BRAF mutations. The median OS was 11.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.6-12.6) and the median PFS was 6 months (95% CI, 5.5-6.5). About 4.6% of patients had complete response and 30.6% of patients had partial response as best tumor response. Grade 1-2 toxicities were seen in 33.4% of patients, while grade 3-4 toxicities were recorded in 27% of patients. Eight patients (2%) died due to treatment toxicity. Conclusions: Overall and PFS were similar in routine clinical practice compared to phase III pivotal VELOUR trial. However, response rates were found to be higher. It was observed that there were fewer adverse events compared to the VELOUR trial