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Status unknownNCT01785004VITALUpdated Apr 13, 2021

Vitamin D and Omega-3 Adiposity Trial (VITAL Adiposity)

An interventional study of Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), 2000 IU per day and omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) in Adiposity, sponsored by Brigham and Women's Hospital. Status unknown at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 50 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-04-13.

Sponsored by Brigham and Women's Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Apr 2021), so the status shown — last known as Active, not recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
600
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
50 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL; NCT 01169259) is a randomized clinical trial in 20,000 U.S. men and women investigating whether taking daily dietary supplements of vitamin D3 (2000 IU) or omega-3 fatty acids (1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids) reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and stroke in people who do not have a prior history of these illnesses. This ancillary study (VITAL Adiposity) is being conducted among participants in VITAL and will examine the effect of vitamin D or fish oil on changes in body composition and adiposity (baseline compared to 2 year, as measured by anthropometric indices, total and regional body fat and adipokines) and assess whether changes in cardiovascular risk factors (lipids, glucose tolerance, blood pressure) are mediated by these parameters. How achieved 25(OH)D levels are affected by body composition and body mass will also be assessed.

Read the detailed description

Observational studies suggest that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels are associated with high BMI and fat mass (FM), but it is unknown whether vitamin D supplementation can alter body composition or adiposity. Despite enthusiasm for the use of vitamin D supplements to reduce FM, the hypothesis that vitamin D can modify adiposity remains unproven. Finding strategies to prevent obesity is of critical public health importance due to the high prevalence of overweight/obesity and its role in causing diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease (CVD), among others. Observational studies also link low 25(OH)D levels to CVD risk factors related to obesity, but sequestration of vitamin D in fat tissue may be a confounding factor. The effects of vitamin D supplementation on body composition, adiposity and CVD risk factors are best tested in a randomized clinical trial (RCT), and according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2011 report, more data from randomized clinical trials on these outcomes are needed. Previous trials of vitamin D have been limited by the inability to separate effects of supplemental calcium from vitamin D, small sample size, insufficient vitamin D dose, failure to monitor 25(OH)D levels or inadequate ascertainment of body composition. The NIH-funded VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) (1 U01 CA138962) affords a unique and cost-effective opportunity to investigate the effect of vitamin D on changes in body composition and to assess whether changes in CVD risk factors are mediated, at least in part, by these parameters. VITAL is a large-scale, randomized, primary prevention trial testing 2000 IU/d vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and 1 g/day omega-3 fatty acids (840 mg EPA+DHA in 1.3:1 ratio) in a 2x2 factorial design among 20,000 men and women (≥50 and ≥55 years, respectively), with mean participant follow-up of 5 years for CVD and cancer. This ancillary study will address understudied areas and two overarching hypotheses that vitamin D supplementation (1) lowers total and regional (trunkal and abdominal/androidal) body fat as measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans, improving biomarkers of adiposity (leptin, adiponectin) and (2) impacts CVD risk factors, at least in part through adiposity. The investigators also seek to define how circulating achieved 25(OH)D levels, due to supplementation, may be affected by body composition and BMI, thus elucidating how adiposity, BMI, and body composition (total and regional) may influence vitamin D intake needs in the population. To critically evaluate these hypotheses, the investigators will examine a representative, randomized subcohort of 1000 racially diverse VITAL participants (25% African American) over two years.

02

Conditions studied

  • Adiposity

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Keywords

  • Adiposity
  • Body composition
  • Vitamin D
  • Adipokines
  • Omega-3 fatty acid
03

In context

Obesity

6,296 studies on the registry are indexed under Obesity; 1,692 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 600 is above the median of 78 across 4,878 interventional studies indexed under Obesity.

Browse Obesity studies →

Lead sponsor

Brigham and Women's Hospital is the lead sponsor of 1,236 studies on the registry; 224 are open to participants now.

Of its 116 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 64 (55%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
50 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Participants in VITAL (NCT 01169259) who are willing to participate in this ancillary study and undergo DXA evaluation (baseline and 2 years)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria:

  • Inability to travel to the Clinical and Translational Science Center in Boston where imaging, anthropometric measurements, and blood work will be performed.
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Factorial assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
600 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Vitamin D + fish oil

    Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), 2000 IU per day and 840 mg of marine omega-3 fatty acids (465 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid \[EPA\] and 375 mg of docosahexaenoic acid \[DHA\])

    Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), 2000 IU per day · Drug: omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

  • Active comparator
    Vitamin D + fish oil placebo

    Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), 2000 IU per day and fish oil placebo

    Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), 2000 IU per day

  • Active comparator
    Vitamin D placebo + fish oil

    Vitamin D placebo and 840 mg of marine omega-3 fatty acids (465 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid \[EPA\] and 375 mg of docosahexaenoic acid \[DHA\])

    Drug: omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

  • Placebo comparator
    Vitamin D placebo + fish oil placebo

    Vitamin D placebo and fish oil placebo

    Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), 2000 IU per day · Drug: omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementVitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), 2000 IU per day

    cholecalciferol

  • Drugomega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

    Also known as: Omacor, 1 capsule a day., Each capsure of Omacor contains 840 milligrams of marine omega-3 fatty acid, (465 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and 375 mg of docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]).

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Body Composition

    We will measure by DXA, changes in body composition (i) total body fat and lean mass, (ii) regional and standardized body fat and lean mass (trunkal, androidal (abdominal), appendicular (limb) and derived ratios (trunk/limb; android/gynoid)) among those randomized to vitamin D supplementation vs. those randomized to placebo.

    Time frame: 2 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Anthropometric Measurements

    We will perform and compare changes in anthropometric measurements, including BMI, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio.

    Time frame: 2 years

  2. Mediation of CVD risk factors by body composition

    We will compare 2 year changes in CVD risk factors: (lipids \[triglycerides, HDL, LDL\]), glucose homeostasis (hemoglobin A1c, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR) and blood pressure between treatment groups, and assess whether changes in body composition mediate any treatment effects.

    Time frame: 2 years

  3. Adipokines

    Among 200 participants, we will assess effect of vitamin D supplementation on adipokines to assess for 2-year changes among those randomized to supplementation vs. placebo.

    Time frame: 2 years

  4. Achieved 25(OH)D level

    We will assess whether achieved 25(OH)D levels with supplementation are affected by baseline and change in body composition and BMI.

    Time frame: 2 years

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Study locations

1 site
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital
    Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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References and documents

Related links

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 13, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01785004
Lead sponsor
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Collaborators
American Heart Association
Responsible party
Jacqueline Suk Danik, MD, DrPH (Principal Investigator, Brigham and Women's Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 6, 2013
Start date
Jul 2012
Primary completion
Jul 2022 (estimated)
Completion
Jul 2022 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 13, 2021

Study contacts

Jacqueline S. Danik, MD, DrPH
principal investigator · Brigham and Women's Hospital

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Apr 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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