02.07.24
Routine supplementation with vitamin D, and/or having high blood concentrations of vitamin D, may help to reduce the risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia incidence, according to an analysis of the health data of 269,229 participants of the UK Biobank.
Dementia affects over 55 million people worldwide, and this number is projected to triple by 2050, according to the authors writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Research into the role of vitamin D in Alzheimer’s disease suggests that the nutrient might modulate amyloid beta plaques, and may help to provide neuroprotection against amyloid beta-induced hyperphosphorylation, which is a cytotoxic process that drives healthy neurons into a diseased state.
In the present study, researchers assessed associations of both vitamin D and multivitamin supplementation, as well as vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency with the 14-year incidence of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s, and vascular dementia. The participants were all between the ages of 55 and 69 at baseline.
In the population, 5% reported regular vitamin D use and 19.8% reported multivitamin use, but most participants were either deficient (18.3%) or insufficient (34%) in vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency was less prevalent in users of vitamin D supplements (6.9%) or multivitamins (9.5%) than among non-users (21.5%).
After adjusting for potential cofounding factors, there was a 19-25% increased risk for all three dementia outcomes for those with vitamin D deficiency, and a 10-15% increased risk for those with vitamin D insufficiency. Regular users of vitamin D and multivitamins saw a 17% and 14% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, respectively.
Due to the fact that the study was based on observational data, and not all cofounding factors could be ruled out, additional human clinical studies are needed in order to validate these findings, the authors noted. Additionally, a longer follow-up period would be needed in future randomized, controlled trials, they noted.
Dementia affects over 55 million people worldwide, and this number is projected to triple by 2050, according to the authors writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Research into the role of vitamin D in Alzheimer’s disease suggests that the nutrient might modulate amyloid beta plaques, and may help to provide neuroprotection against amyloid beta-induced hyperphosphorylation, which is a cytotoxic process that drives healthy neurons into a diseased state.
In the present study, researchers assessed associations of both vitamin D and multivitamin supplementation, as well as vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency with the 14-year incidence of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s, and vascular dementia. The participants were all between the ages of 55 and 69 at baseline.
In the population, 5% reported regular vitamin D use and 19.8% reported multivitamin use, but most participants were either deficient (18.3%) or insufficient (34%) in vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency was less prevalent in users of vitamin D supplements (6.9%) or multivitamins (9.5%) than among non-users (21.5%).
After adjusting for potential cofounding factors, there was a 19-25% increased risk for all three dementia outcomes for those with vitamin D deficiency, and a 10-15% increased risk for those with vitamin D insufficiency. Regular users of vitamin D and multivitamins saw a 17% and 14% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, respectively.
Due to the fact that the study was based on observational data, and not all cofounding factors could be ruled out, additional human clinical studies are needed in order to validate these findings, the authors noted. Additionally, a longer follow-up period would be needed in future randomized, controlled trials, they noted.