Vitamin D reduces risk of falls in elderly

Researchers from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam have found that an increase of vitamin D intake -- from supplements, diet or sun exposure -- may lower the risk of falls in the elderly.

Previous studies have suggested that vitamin D from supplements can decrease the risk of falls, but not all of the studies have confirmed their findings. According to lead researcher Dr. Marieke Snijder, this is because the tests have been relatively small and focused on institutionalized seniors; primarily women.

In the Vrije study -- published in the August issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism -- 1231 men and women over the age of 65 were followed for a year. Their serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D -- also known as 25(OH)D, the non-active "storage" form of vitamin D -- were recorded at the beginning of the study, and then the participants were prompted to self-report falls over the year.

After compensating for age, sex, education level, region, season, physical activity level, smoking, and alcohol consumption, researchers determined that levels of 25(OH)D lower than 10 nanograms per milliliter of serum increased the risk of falling at least twice by 78 percent.

"Possibilities to prevent falls by raising vitamin D levels (through supplementation, increase of sun exposure, or diet) must be explored in the general elderly population," Snijder added.

According to the researchers, age had a major effect, as subjects younger than 75 with low 25(OH)D levels were four times as likely to fall at least twice than subjects older than 75.

"Because the population attributable fraction was even higher in persons aged between 65 and 75 years as compared with the participants older than 75, vitamin D supplementation could be particularly effective in the younger elderly," the study said.

"Contrary to popular belief," added Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and holistic nutritionist, "many falls are preceded by a breaking of the hip due to chronic vitamin D deficiency. Everybody thinks elderly fall and then break their hip, but often it's the other way around: Their hip breaks while standing, and that causes them to fall. That's one reason why vitamin D supplementation can reduce falls... because it prevents the standing hip breaks by boosting bone density through enhanced calcium absorption."

"Vitamin D deficiency is alarmingly widespread among industrialized nations," Adams added, "and that deficiency directly promotes osteoporosis, breast cancer, prostate cancer, depression, calcium deficiency, gum disease and even schizophrenia."