Table 1 Patients characteristics and biochemical parameters

Women/men (number of patients)

-80/62

Menopausal women (number of patients)

51/80

Age (years)

51.6 ± 11.6

Mean disease duration (years)

9.5 ± 7.1

BMI (mean ± SD)

27.5 ± 5.4

Radiological Stage I/ II/ III/IV/ (number of patients)

15/69/14/41

Dyspnoea Stage NYHA I and II/ NYHA III and IV (number of patients)

118/45

History of low energy fracture (number of patients)

21

Current CS intake (mean dose): 88 patients

12.4 ± 11.8 mg

Mean cumulative CS dose per patient

27.6 ± 19.9 g

Vitamin D supplements (mean dose) in the six months before the study: 31 patients

181,161 ± 137,430 U

BP treatment (mean treatment duration) before study: 46 patients

25.3 ± 26.7 months

Mean serum 25(OH)D level (N >30 ng/ml)

14.5 ± 7.61

Mean serum 1,25(OH)2D level (66 < N <167 pmol/l)

137.4 ± 50.3

Mean serum PTH level (10 < N <70 pmol/l)

45.36 ± 31.4

Mean creatinine clearance (ml/min)

110.7 ± 35.9

Mean serum calcium level (2.2 < N <2.6 mmol/l)

2.35 ± 0.9

Mean ESR (mm/h)

17.6 ± 14.5

Mean CRP (mg/L)

7.0 ± 9.8

Mean ACE (19 < N <41)

51.7