Vitamin D, linked to cognition in elderly

BOSTON, June 29 (UPI) -- Sufficient vitamin D levels may help maintain cognitive function -- being able to manage and use available information -- in the elderly, U.S. researchers say.

Epidemiologist Katherine Tucker of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston and colleagues say the study involved more than 1,000 participants ages 65-99 receiving home care.

People receiving home care have a higher risk than others of not getting enough vitamin D because they seldom go outside for exposure to sunlight.

The study, published in the Journals of Gerontology, Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, found only 35 percent had sufficient vitamin D blood levels, but this group had better cognitive performance on the tests than those with deficient and insufficient vitamin D levels.