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Researcher: Possible link between vitamin D and Alzheimer's disease and vas

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Given the strong evidence for a link between vitamin D and various forms of cardiovascular disease and the link between cardiovascular disease and dementia, further investigation of a link between vitamin D and dementia is needed.

That's the conclusion reached by Dr William B. Grant, of the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center in an article in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

"There are established criteria for causality in a biological system," writes Grant, arguing that vitamin D has definitely passed the minimum to warrant a serious look for direct or indirect links.

Low vitamin D has been linked to a suite of conditions: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, depression, dental caries, osteoporosis and periodontal disease. Of note is that all of the above are either considered risk factors for dementia or have preceded incidence of dementia.

Given the evidence, Dr Grant suggests that researchers investigate dementia with respect to the level of vitamin D found in blood tests. In addition, since the elderly tend to be vitamin D deficient and there are so many recorded benefits of vitamin D, he recommends everyone over the age of 60 should have their vitamin D levels tested.