Study aims to reduce vitamin D deficiency in the elderly

Researchers at Newcastle University are aiming to reduce vitamin D deficiency in people over 70 during the winter months caused by lack of sunlight.

The Arthritis Research UK-funded team are looking at the impact of three different doses of vitamin D supplementation on bone health. They hope supplementation with vitamin D will prevent the 30 per cent reduction in concentration of the vitamin in the blood in the winter and spring months when the population is exposed to little sunlight.

They want to examine whether a constant intake of vitamin D throughout the year will lead to people having stronger bones with an improved bone density. However, key to the research is a better understanding of the interaction of vitamin D with hormones and fat in the body with the aim of better understanding whether vitamin D works to provide protection for bones and ultimately reducing the risk of fractures.

The new clinical trial will launch in the autumn and leading it will be Dr Terry Aspray at Newcastle University. He said: ''Older people in particular may be more susceptible to this decrease in vitamin D, which may result in their spending half the year with lower vitamin D levels, causing deficiency in many cases.

''By giving a supplement throughout the year, we want to examine whether we can decrease this risk, ensuring that older people achieve adequate vitamin D levels across the year and identifying the effect that it has on their bones.''

Vitamin D is important for the maintenance of healthy bones, and deficiency causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Lower levels of vitamin D in the blood are also a risk factor for osteoporosis, impaired muscle function and an increased risk of falls and fractures.