Vitamin D for Cognitive function, polyarthritis and risk reduction involving falls and cancer

Research from the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin was conducted in the form of retrospective studies which analyzed data from 32 older adults. These participants were suffering from age related memory problems. A positive correlation was observed between serum level concentrations of vitamin D and the score of a mini-mental examination. The mini-mental examination reflects cognitive function. No significant correlation was found between vitamin B12 concentration and the score of the mini-mental examination. However, vitamin D concentrations in the blood were found to be linked to cognitive function in older adults. The conclusion of the study was that additional research is needed to evaluate and further substantiate the possible positive effects of vitamin D supplementation on cognitive function in the aging population.

The association between serum concentrations of vitamin D and the activity of inflammatory polyarthritis was studied in one of the University hospitals in London, England. This study has involved over 200 patients with signs of early inflammatory polyarthritis. An inverse association was found between the serum level of vitamin D and inflammation of the joints. In other words, patients with higher level of vitamin D had lower activity of polyarthritis. The participants, none of whom were given any steroidal hormones, were studied for a period of six months. At baseline, an inverse association between 25 vitamin D levels and tenderness of the joints was observed. In addition, an inverse association was still observed after one year of study. The conclusion was that vitamin D expresses an immunocorrection effect in inflammatory arthritis. The clinical response to vitamin D supplementation should be further examined in cases of inflammatory arthritis.

A meta-analysis of vitamin D3 and the risk of fall and fracture were conducted. The researchers found that vitamin D3 is associated with a trend toward reduction in the risk of falls. The authors of the study conducted a review of the various scientific databases. Nine studies met the author’s evaluation criteria. These criteria consisted of a comparison between vitamin D and placebo and their respective risk effects on the risk of fractures and falls. Studies which involved post menopausal females were of particular interest. Vitamin D supplementation compared against a placebo was found to be statistically significant in reducing the risk of falls and prevention of the fracture. The conclusion of this study was that in the clinical practice it would be reasonable to include vitamin D supplementation in order to decrease the tendency to fall and achieve better protection against fractures.

Researchers from Madrid, Spain concluded that vitamin D deficiency was associated with metabolic syndrome X and morbid obesity. They have studied 73 morbidly obese patients with a BMI over 40. An association between deficiency of vitamin D and metabolic syndrome X was observed. About 51% of these patients were deficient in vitamin D. There were 63% having metabolic syndrome. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 61% of patients with metabolic syndrome and 33% in patients without metabolic syndrome. An inverse association was observed between serum concentration of vitamin D and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. In addition, patients with vitamin D deficiency had lower concentration of HDL or the so called “good cholesterol” and higher concentrations of triglycerides as compared with the patients who did not have vitamin D deficiency. The conclusion of the authors of this study was that a vitamin D deficiency is associated with a metabolic syndrome in morbidly obese patients.

Low plasma vitamin D levels were found to be associated with an increased risk of rectal cancer. A perspective case controlled study involving over 38,000 participants was conducted by the Epidemiology and Prevention Division of the Research Center for Cancer Prevention in Tokyo, Japan. During 11.5 years of follow up, 375 cases of cancer in the colon and rectal cancer were identified. An adverse association was observed between plasma levels of vitamin D and the risk of colorectal cancer in females and males. Participants with the lowest concentration in 25 different vitamin D levels had significantly increased risk of rectal cancer (up to four times as likely) compared with the category of highest concentration of vitamin D at these 25 levels. The conclusion was that low levels of plasma vitamin D concentration may increase the risk of rectal cancer.