Use of calcifediol in bariatric surgery patients

1. A method of treating a bariatric surgery patient having a BMI of greater than 30, comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D wherein the 25-hydroxyvitamin D is administered in the form of a sustained release oral capsule comprising 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 and a waxy carrier in a wax matrix.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising treating vitamin D insufficiency and/or vitamin D deficiency in the patient.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising treating intractable vitamin D insufficiency.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising treating or preventing a condition in the patient selected from one or more of secondary hyperparathyroidism, osteomalacia, renal osteodystrophy, osteitis fibrosa cystica, osteoporosis, extraskeletal calcification, bone pain, periarticular inflammation, Mockerberg's sclerosis, muscle weakness, growth retardation, and skeletal deformities.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bariatric surgery comprises a malabsorptive component.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bariatric surgery comprises a bypass component.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least the patient's duodenum is bypassed.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least the patient's duodenum and at least a portion of the patient's jejunum is bypassed.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least the patient's duodenum and jejunum are bypassed.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bariatric surgery patient has undergone Roux-en-Y surgery.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising administering the 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 pre-surgery.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient is classified as more than 100 lbs (45 kg) overweight.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising raising the patient's serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D to greater than 30 ng/mL.

14. The method of claim 1 , comprising lowering the patient's plasma intact parathyroid hormone level or lowering the patient's plasma intact parathyroid hormone level by at least 30%.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient is an adult patient and comprising lowering the patient's plasma intact parathyroid hormone level to a range of 10 pg/mL to 65 pg/mL, or the patient is a pediatric patient and comprising lowering the patient's plasma intact parathyroid hormone level to a range of 9 pg/mL to 52 pg/mL.

16. The method of claim 1 , comprising increasing the patient's bone mineral density, optionally to T-score of at least −2.5, or greater than −2.5, or at least −2.0, or at least −1.5, or at least −1.0 or greater than −1.0, as assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry.

17. The method of claim 1 , comprising reducing the blood level of a bone resorption marker in the patient.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the bone resorption marker is one or more marker selected from PTHrP, FGF23, NTX, CTX, and TRAP-5b.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reduction is to within the normal reference range for the marker.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reduction is by at least about 10%, or at least about 20%, or at least about 30%.

21. The method of claim 1 , comprising reducing the blood level of a bone formation marker in the patient.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the bone formation marker is one or more marker selected from BAP and P1NP.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the reduction is to within the normal reference range for the marker.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the reduction is by at least about 10%, or at least about 20%, or at least about 30%.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oral dosage form comprises an amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 in a range of 1 μg to 1000 μg.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment simultaneously avoids causing hypocalcemia in the patient.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment simultaneously avoids causing hypercalcemia in the patient.

28. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment simultaneously avoids increasing FGF23 in the patient.

29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient has a plasma iPTH value of at least 85 pg/mL at the initiation of therapy.

30. A method of treating secondary hyperparathyroidism in a bariatric surgery patient having a BMI of greater than 30, comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D wherein the 25-hydroxyvitamin D is administered in the form of a sustained release oral capsule comprising 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 and a waxy carrier in a wax matrix, to lower the patient's plasma intact parathyroid hormone level.

31. A method of treating secondary hyperparathyroidism and vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in a bariatric surgery patient having a BMI of greater than 30 and an iPTH value of at least 85 pg/mL, comprising administering to the patient an effective amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D wherein the 25-hydroxyvitamin D is administered in the form of a sustained release oral capsule comprising 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 and a waxy carrier in a wax matrix, to lower the patient's plasma intact parathyroid hormone level by at least 30%.