A problem for completing routine tasks
Vitamin D-deficient older individuals are more likely to struggle with everyday tasks such as dressing or climbing stairs, according to a recent study.
Scientists estimate many as 90 percent of older individuals are vitamin D deficient. The vitamin – typically absorbed from sunlight or on a supplementary basis through diet – plays a key role in bone and muscle health. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a decline in bone density, muscle weakness, osteoporosis or broken bones.
"Seniors who have low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have mobility limitations and to see their physical functioning decline over time," said the study's lead author, Evelien Sohl, MSc, of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. "Older individuals with these limitations are more likely to be admitted to nursing homes and face a higher risk of mortality."
