Vitamin D Deficiency May Be Linked to Cognitive Decline

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today

Low levels of vitamin D appear to be associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline among older people, according to researchers.

In an observational study conducted among more than 800 Italians ages 65 and older, severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with a 60% increase in the risk of substantial cognitive decline (by a standard measure), according to David Llewellyn, PhD, of the University of Exeter in Exeter, England, and colleagues.

The findings -- if confirmed by further studies and randomized clinical trials -- "open up important new possibilities for treatment and prevention," Llewellyn and colleagues wrote in the July 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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