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Vitamin D for
Elderly Could Reduce Leading Cause of Injury Deaths
Oct. 27, 2004 -
Falls lead to 40 percent of all nursing home admissions and are the
largest single cause of injury-related deaths among the elderly but
these statistics could improve if older people receive supplemental
vitamin D, according to an analysis by the Agriculture Research Service.
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About Vitamin
D
Vitamin D is actually a hormone and not a nutrient. There are
very few dietary "natural" sources for this vitamin such as
fatty fish, fish oils, and liver. So, fortified foods become the
major dietary sources of vitamin D.
Prior to
the fortification of milk products in the 1930s, rickets (a bone
disease seen in children) was a major public health problem in
the United States. One cup of vitamin D fortified milk supplies
about one-fourth of the estimated daily need for this vitamin
for adults.
Although
milk is fortified with vitamin D, dairy products made from milk
such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream are generally not
fortified with vitamin D so be sure to read the label.
As we
age, the ability of our skin to convert vitamin D to its active
form decreases, so older Americans (greater than age 50) are
thought to have a higher risk of developing vitamin D
deficiency. |
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About one-third of
people over age 65and up to half of those over 80get injured from
falling every year. Older adults who get supplemental vitamin D in their
diets are less likely to slip and fall down, say the
ARS-funded scientists and their colleagues.
Bess
Dawson-Hughes, a physician specializing in bone health and nutrition,
along with colleagues in academia and medicine, researched all major
vitamin D clinical trials in older populations conducted from January
1960 to February 2004. Dawson-Hughes is director of the Bone Metabolism
Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on
Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Based on five
double-blind, randomized, controlled trials involving 1,237
participants, the researchers found that elderly people fell 22 percent
less often if they took vitamin D supplements. The folks studied, who
averaged about age 70, were in stable health and were either community
dwelling or living in some type of care facility.
Previously, it had
been shown that vitamin D supplementation was good for bone health and
that very severe vitamin D deficiency led to muscle weakness. But less
was known about any association between milder vitamin D deficiency and
muscle weakness or risk of falling. When the activated form of vitamin D
binds to receptors in muscle tissue, it promotes growth and strengthens
muscles, which can in turn reduce falls, according to Dawson-Hughes.
Fall-related
injuries are likely to account for more than $32 billion in future
medical-, hospital-, and rehabilitative-care costs annually, experts
say. The findings underscore the importance of adequate vitamin D intake
for the prevention of falls in the elderly and a need for further
related studies. The paper was published in the April 2004 issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association.By
Rosalie Marion Bliss, Agricultural Research Service Information
Staff.
Bess Dawson-Hughes is with the Bone Metabolism Laboratory,
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts
University, 711 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111-1524; phone (617)
556-3064, fax (617) 556-3305.
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