Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Those with “very low” vitamin D levels of 15 ng/mL or less had a 150% greater risk of becoming pre- frail or frail and a 286% risk of death from all causes compared to those with “high” vitamin D levels of greater than 30 ng/mL.

Frailty is characterized by decreased physical function (1) and defined as the presence of three or more of the following criteria: weakness (as measured by grip strength), unintentional weight loss (more than 10 pounds in the previous year), low walking speed, exhaustion, and low physical activity (by self-report) (2).

The presence of one or two of these criteria denotes pre-frailty which can lead to falls, worsening disability, hospitalization, and death (2). Frailty is common in older adults, with nearly 1 in 10 adults (10.7%) over the age of 65 found to have frailty (3).

Now a new study (4) suggests that having very low levels of vitamin D significantly increases the risk of frailty and subsequent death. In the study, researchers analyzed data on 727 subjects (486 men, 241 women) participating in the KORA-Age Study (5) who were over the age of 65 and considered “non-frail”. They were followed for an average of 2.9 years, and blood samples were taken to measure for vitamin D levels during the follow-ups.

Over the 2.9-year follow-up, 21.2% and 3.9% of the subjects became pre-frail and frail, respectively. Researchers found that compared to subjects with “high” vitamin D levels (greater than 30 nanograms/milliliter), those with “very low” vitamin D levels (15 ng/mL or less) had a 140% greater risk of becoming pre-frail (p < 0.05) and a 150% greater risk becoming pre-frail or frail (p < 0.05). In addition, those with very low vitamin D levels had a 286% increased risk of death from all causes (called “all-cause mortality”) (p < 0.05).

For the researchers, “Very low vitamin D levels were independently associated with incident pre-frailty, pre-frailty/ frailty combined and all-cause mortality” and that “preventing these consequences by enhancing vitamin D levels via improvement in diet and outdoor physical activity as well as vitamin D supplementation may be important to maintain health in older adults.” To achieve blood levels of vitamin D of 30 ng/mL or greater, research suggests supplementing with 1,500-2,000 IU per day (6).

 Source: Vogt, Susanne, et al. “Prospective association of vitamin D with frailty status and all-cause mortality in older adults: results from the KORA-Age Study.” Preventive medicine 73 (2015): 40-46

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Posted June 23, 2015.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. Fried, L.P., Ferrucci, L., Darer, J., Williamson, J.D., Anderson, G., 2004. Untangling the concepts of disability, frailty, and comorbidity: implications for improved targeting and care. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 59 (3), 255–263
  2. Fried, L.P., Tangen, C.M., Walston, J., et al., 2001. Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype. J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. 56 (3), M146–M156
  3. Collard, R.M., Boter, H., Schoevers, R.A., Oude Voshaar, R.C., 2012. Prevalence of frailty in community-dwelling older persons: a systematic review. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 60 (8), 1487–1492
  4. Voqt S. Prospective association of vitamin D with frailty status and all-cause mortality in older adults: Results from the KORA-Age Study . Prev Med 2015 Apr;73:40-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.01.010. Epub 2015 Jan 19
  5. Holle, R., Happich, M., Lowel, H., Wichmann, H.E., Group M.K.S., 2005. KORA–a research platform for population based health research. Gesundheitswesen 67 (Suppl. 1), S19–S25.
  6. Youssef DA. Vitamin D’s potential to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Dermatoendocrinol. 2012 Apr 1; 4(2): 167–175