Published By: K.D Cameron

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A new study shows that there is really a direct link between Vitamin D levels in the human body and cognitive decline, confirming other similar findings of research conducted in the past.

These earlier studies, however, involved mainly participants of the Caucasian (white) race. For this reason researchers have realised that the Vitamin D role in the enhanced cognitive abilities of people of all population groups have not been adequately assessed, especially having in mind that Hispanic and African Americans have been found to be more prone to such diseases.    

In order to get a clearer picture researchers have set the objective to determine the relation between low Vitamin D levels and age-related cognitive disabilities in older adults of different ethnic groups.

The study we are presenting here has been published in the online version of JAMA Neurology. It involved 382 subjects with a mean age of 75.5 years. The demographic breakdown of the study participants is as follows: 41.4% white, 29.6% African Americans, 25.1% Hispanic and 3.9% other ethnic groups.

At enrollment, 17.5% of the participants were diagnosed with dementia, 32.7% were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and 49.5% were cognitively normal. And here is the Vitamin D deficiency rate in different groups: the white race participants had a Vitamin D deficiency of 13.3% compared to 28.1% in the Hispanic group and 42.5% of the African Americans. Overall, participants with dementia had the lowest levels of Vitamin D.

During the 5-year follow-up period significantly lower rates of decline in the episodic memory, semantic memory and executive function have been found in individuals with high Vitamin D levels in the body. 

Cognitive decline was bigger in individuals with Vitamin D deficiency compared to those with higher Vitamin D levels.

The authors of the study note that the level of cognitive decline associated with Vitamin D deficiency is biggest for the episodic memory and the executive function, i.e. these are the two areas that stand out in relation with dementia.   

The authors point out that even when patients with dementia have not been included in the analysis, “the level of influence of Vitamin D deficiency on the cognitive function has been significant”.

Miller JW, Harvey DJ, et al. Vitamin D Status and Rates of Cognitive Decline in a Multiethnic Cohort of Older Adults. JAMA Neurol. Published online September 14, 2015. Doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2015.2115

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