Another study has come out showing that older adults with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have cognitive problems. The six-year study followed 858 adults who were age 65 or older at the beginning of the study. Those who were severely deficient in vitamin D were 60% more likely to have substantial cognitive decline, and 31% more likely to have specific declines in executive function, although there was no association with attention. Vitamin D deficiency is common in older adults in the United States and Europe (levels estimated from 40% to 100%!), and has been implicated in a wide variety of physical disease.
Low vitamin D levels associated with cognitive decline
Reference
Llewellyn, D. J., Lang, I. A., Langa, K. M., Muniz-Terrera, G., Phillips, C. L., Cherubini, A., … Melzer, D. (2010). Vitamin D and Risk of Cognitive Decline in Elderly Persons. Arch Intern Med, 170(13), 1135-1141. Retrieved from http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/170/13/1135
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