Vitamin D and cognition
2 papers in the library, strongest Moderate.
Graded Moderate · Chance assigned 360 older adults to four groups, including a dummy pill, for a full year; but everyone came from a single district in China.
Papers 2
- Vitamin D Plus Omega-3 Lifted Thinking Scores Over a YearModeraten = 3602026NutrientsOlder adults with mild cognitive impairment, meaning a noticeable dip in thinking skills, scored better on intelligence tests after a year of vitamin D and the omega-3 fat DHA. The gain was largest when people took both together. Each one on its own also did better than a dummy pill. The trial ran in Tianjin, China, with 360 people aged 65 or older who lived at home. They were split at random into four groups: 800 units of vitamin D3 a day, 1 gram of DHA, both, or capsules of corn oil. In total, 355 stayed to the end. After twelve months, the combined group's overall test score was almost 13 points higher than the dummy group's. Certain inflammation markers in the blood fell in all three active groups. No side effects were reported. The researchers suspect a protein called gasdermin D plays a part, as it is involved in an inflammatory form of cell death. By their calculation, though, its drop explained only about 8 percent of the effect. All participants came from one district, and diet and exercise were not fully accounted for. Whether the results hold elsewhere is still open.
- After Stroke, Low Vitamin D Tracks With More FallsModeraten = 8022026Clinical interventions in agingA stroke can set older people back badly. Those who also have atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, are especially prone to lasting disability, low mood and falls. In a study from China, stroke patients with little vitamin D in their blood recovered less well. They also fell more often over the following year. Researchers at one hospital followed 802 people aged 65 or older after a stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel. Vitamin D was measured within 48 hours of admission. Just over 60 percent had low levels. This group had a 29 percent higher risk of a first fall during the next twelve months. At three months, they managed daily tasks less well on their own and more often had marked depressive symptoms. Falls were common overall: 327 of 742 people tracked fell at least once, more than two in five. No one in the study was given vitamin D. So the results cannot show whether raising vitamin D improves recovery or prevents falls, a point the authors stress themselves. Key details such as earlier falls, balance or memory were not recorded in a standard way and could partly explain the link. The researchers see the blood test mainly as a simple way to spot who is at risk.
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