A study by researchers from the Departments of Physiotherapy (DFisio) and Gerontology (DGero) at the Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCar) identified a link between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of developing functional disabilities in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in men. The study was published in the journal Nutrients.
IADL are Daily activities that require a higher level of attention during their performance, Such as household activities, money management, ability to use means of transportation and communication. They are essential for maintaining the functioning ability of the elderly, reflecting the ability to understand the physical demands of daily life.
According to Thiago Alexander, a professor at DGero and advising doctoral student Marianne Mark Louise, who is in charge of the study, the vitamin is important for muscle function, and when levels are low, it leads to Muscle weakness and degeneration.
“Vitamin D acts to protect the central nervous system and there is evidence that its deficiency favors cognitive decline, which may explain the poorer performance in IADL, as these are activities that should preserve cognitive ability,” he explained.
methodology
Were evaluated 4,768 English people ELSA study participants, aged 50 and over, who There was no difficulty in the following IADLs: Managing money, using transportation, shopping, preparing meals, using the phone / media, managing medications and performing household chores.
The details were classified according to Your Vitamin D Levels And collected information on socio-economic data, lifestyle habits and health conditions. After four years of follow-up, Re-evaluated Verify the development of difficulty in performing one or more of the IADL. At the end of the follow-up No association was found for women, but vitamin deficiency increased the risk for men by 43%.
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Results
The authors suggest that the results found only for men may be due to the The link between vitamin D and testosterone. “Men suffer from greater muscle fiber degeneration than women due to decreased testosterone levels with aging. Because vitamin D contributes to testosterone production, its deficiency can intensify muscle degeneration in these men.”
The authors warn that although the main source of vitamin D is sun exposure, when its levels are lacking, Addition may be a treatment strategy There should be a prescription only by nutritionists and doctors.
The study was funded by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Teams (Capes) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The study was recently published in Nutrients, a journal in the field of nutrition. (See the full article here)