Sex Differences in Vitamin D Status as a Risk Factor for Incidence of Disability in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living: Evidence from the ELSA Cohort Study

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency compromises elements underlying the disability process; however, there is no evidence demonstrating the association between vitamin D deficiency and the incidence of disability in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). We investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of incidence of IADL disability separately in men and women. A total of 4768 individuals aged ≥50 years from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) and without IADL disability according to the Lawton scale were available. Vitamin D was evaluated at baseline by serum 25(OH)D concentrations and classified as sufficient (>50 nmol/L), insufficient (>30 to ≤50 nmol/L) or deficient serum (≤30 nmol/L). IADL were reassessed after 4 years. Poisson models stratified by sex and controlled by covariates demonstrated that deficient serum 25(OH)D was a risk factor for the incidence of IADL disability in men (IRR: 1.43; 95% CI 1.02, 2.00), but not in women (IRR: 1.23; 95% CI 0.94, 1.62). Men appear to be more susceptible to the effect of vitamin D deficiency on the incidence of IADL disability, demonstrating the importance of early clinical investigation of serum 25(OH)D concentrations to prevent the onset of disability.

Targeting the Hallmarks of Aging with Vitamin D: Starting to Decode the Myth

“…Vitamin D (VitD) is renowned for its positive impact on musculoskeletal structure and functions, particularly in preventing falls, fragility fractures, impaired locomotion, and mobility disability among older adults with deficient plasma levels [ 6 ]. In the aging process, the decline in physical performance is recognized as the first phenotypical clinical feature of accelerated aging, preceding and contributing to the onset of muscle-skeletal chronic diseases and the burden of disability [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Consistently, aging is associated with a higher likelihood of vitamin D deficiency and dysregulated vitamin D function due to reduced sensitivity to 1,25(OH)2D3.…”