Private MD News

Calcium and vitamin D may help reduce mortality rate in seniors

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Older adults may want to consider blood tests for vitamin D levels and take supplements if their levels are low. New research indicates that seniors live longer when they take vitamin D and calcium supplements.

For the study, researchers from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark tracked the health of 2,000 seniors. Half were given vitamin D supplements, while the other participants received vitamin D and calcium supplements.

The results showed that participants in the vitamin D plus calcium group had 9 percent lower mortality rates than those in the vitamin D-only group.

Importantly, the findings indicated that the reduced mortality rates were not necessarily a result of fewer fractures. Broken bones, particularly hips, are known to increase mortality risk in seniors. Instead, the findings suggest that there is some other benefit to calcium and vitamin D.

Furthermore, the findings indicated no ill effects associated with calcium supplementation. Some prior research has linked very high levels of this nutrient to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.