São Paulo, Brazil – A new study reveals a significant link between vitamin D deficiency and reduced mobility in older adults, with deficiency increasing the risk of slow walking speed by 22%. Researchers at the University of São Paulo found the connection persists regardless of age, gender, race, education, physical activity levels, smoking habits, diabetes, or other health conditions.
The findings, published alongside an analysis of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, underscore the importance of vitamin D monitoring for healthy aging. “As a very important indicator, your monitoring should be considered to maintain healthy aging,” stated Alexandre, a researcher involved in the study. However, researchers caution against excessive supplementation due to the potential for toxicity.
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in immune, cardiorespiratory, neurological, and musculoskeletal health, with receptors present in cells throughout the body. Sunlight exposure activates a substance in the skin, converting it into the active form of vitamin D necessary for various bodily functions.
“It is not that vitamin D serve for everything, it is that it is important in various organs and systems of the body,” explained Mariane Luiz, another researcher.
The study highlights a natural decline in vitamin D bioavailability and receptor numbers with age, potentially leading to physiological decline and mobility loss.”As you get older, there is a reduction in bioavailability of vitamin D precursor substance… There is also a decrease in the number of vitamin D receptors… which reduces the capacity of skin synthesis and distribution of vitamin D to tissues,” the researcher noted.
The research team emphasizes the need for monitoring vitamin D levels in older adults to mitigate these risks. Further data can be found at https://agencia.fapesp.br/bom-controle-glicemico-reduz-o-declinio-da-mobilidade-em-idosos-com-diabetes/52183. The full article, Is serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency a risk factor for the incidence of slow gait speed in older individuals? is available at https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/dom.16317.
