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:
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- Youssef DA. Vitamin D’s potential to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Dermatoendocrinol. 2012 Apr 1; 4(2): 167–175