Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Poor Muscle Strength in Older Adults

A study in Clinical Interventions in Aging found vitamin D deficiency to be a key symptom of poor skeletal muscle function in adults 60 and over, reports News-Medical . Resistance exercise helps to sustain muscle function, and adequate vitamin D status appears to be similarly beneficial. The researchers learned the prevalence of muscle weakness was twice as high among community-dwelling older adults with vitamin D deficiency, versus those who were getting enough vitamin D. Furthermore, impaired muscle performance was three times higher in vitamin D-deficient older adults, who also had a much higher likelihood of impaired muscle strength and performance. Analysis also verified that older adults engaging in regular moderate physical activity had significantly lower odds of poor muscle strength and physical performance. "Addressing this through multimodal approaches that incorporate physical activity, reversing vitamin D deficiency, and other modifiable diet and lifestyle components require further investigation," said Trinity College Dublin Professor Maria O'Sullivan.