'D'-mentia link found
Source: Agencies |
July 14, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
OLDER people with low levels of vitamin D appear more likely to have problems with memory, learning and thinking, suggesting low vitamin D could give an early warning for dementia risk, scientists said.
Researchers from Britain, Italy and the United States studied 850 Italians aged 65 or older and found that those who were severely vitamin D deficient were 60 percent more likely to experience substantial general cognitive decline, and 31 percent more likely to experience problems with mental flexibility.
"This is the first study to identify a clear link between low vitamin D levels and cognitive decline," David Llewellyn of the Peninsula Medical School at Britain's Exeter University, who led the study, said on Monday.
"We have now been able to demonstrate a connection between having low levels of vitamin D and going on to develop cognitive problems."
Since an estimated that 1 billion people worldwide have insufficient levels of vitamin D, Llewellyn said the findings were "a cause for real concern".
Giving vitamin D supplements to older people to boost their levels could be "a highly promising therapeutic target for the prevention of dementia," he said, particularly since supplements are cheap, safe and have already been shown to help to reduce the risk of falls and fractures.
Most vitamin D is made by the body as a natural by-product of the skin's exposure to sunlight. It can also be found in a few foods such as oily fish and is vital for health, as it helps cells absorb calcium and is key for bone strength.
Some recent studies have also suggested vitamin D may protect against cancer, artery disease and tuberculosis.
In this six-year study, Llewellyn's team found that older people who were severely deficient in vitamin D - defined as having blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of less than 25 nanomoles per liter - were 60 percent more likely to have substantial cognitive decline.
They were also 31 percent more likely to show decline in a test measuring executive function than those with good vitamin D levels, the study found.
Researchers from Britain, Italy and the United States studied 850 Italians aged 65 or older and found that those who were severely vitamin D deficient were 60 percent more likely to experience substantial general cognitive decline, and 31 percent more likely to experience problems with mental flexibility.
"This is the first study to identify a clear link between low vitamin D levels and cognitive decline," David Llewellyn of the Peninsula Medical School at Britain's Exeter University, who led the study, said on Monday.
"We have now been able to demonstrate a connection between having low levels of vitamin D and going on to develop cognitive problems."
Since an estimated that 1 billion people worldwide have insufficient levels of vitamin D, Llewellyn said the findings were "a cause for real concern".
Giving vitamin D supplements to older people to boost their levels could be "a highly promising therapeutic target for the prevention of dementia," he said, particularly since supplements are cheap, safe and have already been shown to help to reduce the risk of falls and fractures.
Most vitamin D is made by the body as a natural by-product of the skin's exposure to sunlight. It can also be found in a few foods such as oily fish and is vital for health, as it helps cells absorb calcium and is key for bone strength.
Some recent studies have also suggested vitamin D may protect against cancer, artery disease and tuberculosis.
In this six-year study, Llewellyn's team found that older people who were severely deficient in vitamin D - defined as having blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of less than 25 nanomoles per liter - were 60 percent more likely to have substantial cognitive decline.
They were also 31 percent more likely to show decline in a test measuring executive function than those with good vitamin D levels, the study found.
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