1 To prevent recurrent vitamin D deficiency and also to maintain adequate levels in patients who are vitamin D sufficient, we treat with 50 000 IU of ergocalciferol every other week indefinitely, a regimen that, to our knowledge, has not been published to date. 1, 3 The efficacy of this regimen has been previously described. 2 In our clinic, which specializes in metabolic bone disease, we routinely treat vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <20 ng/mL ) with 50 000 IU of ergocalciferol once a week for 8 weeks. Furthermore, there is a concern that ergocalciferol, the only pharmaceutical vitamin D available in the United States, may be less effective than cholecalciferol (vitamin D 3). 1 Despite this, to our knowledge there are no long-term studies of the safety and efficacy of giving pharmacologic doses of vitamin D (50 000 IU of ergocalciferol ) to treat and prevent vitamin D deficiency.
The worldwide prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is striking, and more than 40% of the population may be vitamin D deficient.
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Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience. 
Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography. The reference range for serum calcium level is 8.5 to 10.2 mg/dL (to convert to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.25). Results for all 86 patients who were treated with 50 000 IU of ergocalciferol (vitamin D 2). The data for interval months 60 and 72 were pooled, and there was a significant difference of P < .01 compared with the baseline value. The mean 25(OH)D levels in each 6-month interval were compared with mean initial 25(OH)D levels and showed a significant difference of P < .001 for all time points up to 48 months. There were 38 patients who were vitamin D insufficient (25D levels <21-29 ng/mL and 7 patients who were vitamin D sufficient (25D levels ≥30 ng/mL) who were treated only with maintenance therapy of 50 000 IU of ergocalciferol (vitamin D 2) every 2 weeks. B, Mean serum 25(OH)D levels in patients receiving maintenance therapy only. To convert 25(OH)D to nanomoles per liter, multiply by 2.496. The mean 25(OH)D level of each 6-month interval was compared with initial mean 25(OH)D level and showed a significant difference of P < .001 for all time points. Forty-one of the patients were vitamin D insufficient or deficient and first received 50 000-IU ergocalciferol weekly for 8 weeks before being placed on maintenance therapy of 50 000 IU of ergocalciferol every 2 weeks. A, Mean 25 (OH) D levels in all patients treated with 50 000 IU of ergocalciferol (vitamin D 2) every 2 weeks (maintenance therapy, n = 86). 
Results are given as mean (SEM) values averaged over 6-month intervals. Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25D) and calcium levels.
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