Indication: Cognitive impairment


Source: J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol, December, 10 2008 [Epub ahead of print].

Research: Believing there might be a connection between vitamin D status and cognitive impairment, researchers studied 1766 adults aged 65 years and older from the Health Survey for England 2000, a nationally representative population-based study. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Abbreviated Mental Test Score. The cross-sectional relation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D quartiles to cognitive impairment was modeled using logistic regression.

Results: In all, 212 participants (12%) were cognitively impaired, suggesting to researchers that as vitamin D status dropped, cognitive impairment went up. Therefore they believe this data suggest that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is associated with increased odds of cognitive impairment.