According to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School, older people with lower levels of vitamin-D have twice the amount of risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia compared to others in the same age group with healthy levels of the vitamin.
The results of the study used data from a cardiovascular health study where over 1000 adults aged 65 and were selected. The subjects were monitored for about six years, during which time they were relatively healthy and free from diseases associated with older age like dementia. During the course of the research, the scientists found that the subjects that had a moderate deficiency for vitamin D were more prone to the development of dementia by 53%, while severely deficient subjects had an astonishing 125% probability factor. The results were similar for Alzheimer's disease wherein there was a 69% risk for moderately deficient subjects and a 122% risk for severely deficient subjects.
There are over 40 million people that are affected with dementia all over the world and it has become a major health issue among members of the older population. This number is expected to be tripled by the year 2050 and experts have expressed a growing concern over the condition, especially with results from this new research linking vitamin D deficiency to the development of the disease since, at the moment, there is about 1 billion people with inadequate levels of vitamin D.
Dr. David Llewellyn who is part of the research team from the University of Exeter Medical School said that, "Clinical trials are now needed to establish whether eating food such as oily fish or taking vitamin D supplements can delay, or even prevent, the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia." In a more recent statement, he also added that, "We need to be cautious at this early stage as our latest results did not demonstrate that low vitamin D levels cause dementia. That said, our findings are very encouraging, and even if a small number of people could benefit, this would have enormous public health implications given the devastating and costly nature of dementia."
