The Association Between Vitamin D Levels and Inflammation in Older Adults

by | Aug 27, 2024 | 2023, Aging, Recent Articles, Vitamin D - Recommended Levels

Written by Harold Oster, MD. The study suggests that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased inflammation in older adults.

agingAcute inflammation is necessary in the immune system’s response to infection. Chronic inflammation, however, contributes to the development of various medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer1. Smoking, obesity, and older age are among the factors associated with chronic inflammation2. In the elderly, chronic inflammation is a major risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality3.

Eamon Laird et al. studied the association between vitamin D levels and inflammation in older adults. The authors analyzed data gathered by the investigators of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a population-based cross-sectional study conducted by Trinity College Dublin4. Between 2009 and 2011, 8,175 community-dwelling residents older than fifty were recruited for the study. Blood samples were tested for creatinine, hemoglobin A1C, vitamin D, and C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation5. Vitamin D levels were defined as deficient (less than 30 nmol/L), insufficient (30-50 nmol/L), and sufficient (greater than 50 nmol/L). Normal, elevated, and high CRP levels were defined as 0-5 mg/dL, 5-10 mg/dL, and greater than 10 mg/dL, respectively. Body mass index was measured, and the participants were interviewed for demographics, past medical history, lifestyle factors, physical activity, and other possible covariables.

The authors noted the following:

  • Based on inclusion criteria, data from 5,381 participants was used for the study.
  • The average age of participants was 62.9 years, and 53.5% were female.
  • 13% of participants were deficient in vitamin D.
  • The mean CRP level was 3.30 mg/dL.
  • Normal CRP levels were found in 83.9% of participants, elevated levels in 11.0%, and high levels in 5.1%.
  • Participants who were older than seventy-five, smoked, or were obese were more likely to have high levels of CRP.
  • After adjustment for covariables, participants with vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have a high CRP level than those with sufficient or insufficient vitamin D levels.

Results suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased inflammation in older adults. Limitations of the study include its cross-sectional design, use of a single CRP measurement to evaluate for inflammation, and possible residual confounding.

Source: Laird, Eamon, Aisling M. O’Halloran, Anne M. Molloy, Martin Healy, Nollaig Bourke, and Rose Anne Kenny. “Vitamin D status & associations with inflammation in older adults.” Plos one 18, no. 6 (2023): e0287169.

© 2023 Laird et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
author and source are credited.

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted August 27, 2024.

Harold Oster, MD graduated from medical school in Miami, Florida in 1992 and moved to Minnesota in 2004. After more than 25 years of practicing Internal Medicine, he recently retired. Dr. Oster is especially interested in nutrition, weight management, and disease prevention. Visit his website at haroldoster.com.

References:

  1. Nigam M, Mishra AP, Deb VK, et al. Evaluation of the association of chronic inflammation and cancer: Insights and implications. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. Aug 2023;164:115015. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115015
  2. Sanada F, Taniyama Y, Muratsu J, et al. Source of Chronic Inflammation in Aging. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018;5:12. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2018.00012
  3. Chung HY, Kim DH, Lee EK, et al. Redefining Chronic Inflammation in Aging and Age-Related Diseases: Proposal of the Senoinflammation Concept. Aging Dis. Apr 2019;10(2):367-382. doi:10.14336/ad.2018.0324
  4. Donoghue OA, McGarrigle CA, Foley M, Fagan A, Meaney J, Kenny RA. Cohort Profile Update: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Int J Epidemiol. Oct 1 2018;47(5):1398-1398l. doi:10.1093/ije/dyy163
  5. Sproston NR, Ashworth JJ. Role of C-Reactive Protein at Sites of Inflammation and Infection. Frontiers in immunology. 2018;9:754. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00754