OBJECTIVES: To define vitamin D levels and their association with cognition in subjects with exceptional longevity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Community and long-term care facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Ashkenazi Jewish subjects (n = 253) with exceptional longevity, with comparison made to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) participants aged 70 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and clock drawing test (CDT: command and copy). RESULTS: The median age of the Ashkenazi subjects was 97 (interquartile range (IQR) 95-104). Age-associated rise in the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency, defined as a serum vitamin D level of less than 30 ng/mL, was noted in NHANES III (P = .001). In the Ashkenazi group with longevity, the rate of vitamin D insufficiency was comparable with that of the NHANES III participants, who were up to 25 years younger. In the cohort with exceptional longevity, 49% demonstrated cognitive impairment as assessed according to MMSE score (impaired cognition, median 9.5 IQR 0-24); normal cognition, median 29 (IQR 18-30) P < .001). Vitamin D insufficiency was more prevalent in those with impaired cognition, defined according to the MMSE (71.8% vs 57.7%, P = .02) and the CDT copy (84.6% vs. 50.6%, P = .02), than in those with normal cognition. This association remained significant after multivariable adjustment in logistic regression models for cognitive assessments made using the MMSE (odds ratio (OR) = 3.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-9.29, P = .03) and the CDT copy (OR = 8.96, 95% CI = 1.08-74.69, P = .04). CONCLUSION: Higher vitamin D levels may be a marker of delayed aging, because they are associated with better cognitive function in people achieving exceptional longevity.
OBJECTIVES: To define vitamin D levels and their association with cognition in subjects with exceptional longevity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Community and long-term care facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Ashkenazi Jewish subjects (n = 253) with exceptional longevity, with comparison made to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) participants aged 70 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and clock drawing test (CDT: command and copy). RESULTS: The median age of the Ashkenazi subjects was 97 (interquartile range (IQR) 95-104). Age-associated rise in the prevalence of vitamin Dinsufficiency, defined as a serum vitamin D level of less than 30 ng/mL, was noted in NHANES III (P = .001). In the Ashkenazi group with longevity, the rate of vitamin Dinsufficiency was comparable with that of the NHANES III participants, who were up to 25 years younger. In the cohort with exceptional longevity, 49% demonstrated cognitive impairment as assessed according to MMSE score (impaired cognition, median 9.5 IQR 0-24); normal cognition, median 29 (IQR 18-30) P < .001). Vitamin Dinsufficiency was more prevalent in those with impaired cognition, defined according to the MMSE (71.8% vs 57.7%, P = .02) and the CDT copy (84.6% vs. 50.6%, P = .02), than in those with normal cognition. This association remained significant after multivariable adjustment in logistic regression models for cognitive assessments made using the MMSE (odds ratio (OR) = 3.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-9.29, P = .03) and the CDT copy (OR = 8.96, 95% CI = 1.08-74.69, P = .04). CONCLUSION: Higher vitamin D levels may be a marker of delayed aging, because they are associated with better cognitive function in people achieving exceptional longevity.
Authors: Nir Barzilai; Gil Atzmon; Clyde Schechter; Ernst J Schaefer; Adrienne L Cupples; Richard Lipton; Suzanne Cheng; Alan R Shuldiner Journal: JAMA Date: 2003-10-15 Impact factor: 56.272