Supplement seniors with Vitamin D without testing: >75 years Endocrine Society, new study >65 years
Vitamin D and Older Adults: To Supplement or Not to Supplement?
Drugs Aging. 2026 Jan 24. doi: 10.1007/s40266-025-01277-3 PDF behind $40 paywall
Niki G Mourelatou 1, Eleni Rebelos 2 3, Michael Hughes 4 5, Dimitris Kounatidis 2, Edward B Jude 6 7 8
The aging population is steadily increasing, representing a significant portion of the global population. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent, particularly among older adults and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various chronic diseases. In June 2024, a clinical practice guideline was published by the Endocrine Society, recommending empiric vitamin D supplementation for those over 75 years old, suggesting that it could reduce mortality in this age group. Meanwhile, for the general population aged 50-74 years, not only was empiric supplementation not suggested but neither was routine testing of vitamin D levels. This review discusses the pathophysiological changes associated with aging, the conditions commonly affecting older adults that may be positively impacted by vitamin D, and the potential negative effects of such supplementation.
By examining the current knowledge in the field, we aim to provide practical insights into the effects of vitamin D in individuals older than 75 years and to explore the potential benefits of expanding supplementation to include younger older adults, specifically those aged 65-74 years.
Definition of Empiric supplementation
Perplexity AI "Empiric vitamin D supplementation means giving vitamin D in doses above the usual Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) to people without first measuring their blood 25‑hydroxyvitamin D level, and without a documented deficiency"
Related in VitaminDWiki
- Vitamin D reduces the 12 Hallmarks Of Aging
- Seniors need more Vitamin D (Geriatric Ward in this case)
- Seniors 5.4 more likely to die if Vitamin D less than 15 ng (Mexico)
- Top 10 chronic health problems of seniors are all related to low vitamin D
- Vitamin D test result can vary by 40 ng (10 reasons)
- No vitamin D test needed before supplementing (typically)- 2014
- No longer debating vitamin D supplementation, now debating need for testing first - 2013
- Half of the seniors needed more than 50,000 IU vitamin D3 monthly – April 2011
- 13 reasons why many seniors need more vitamin D (both dose and level)
4 reasons that everyone (not just seniors) should supplement with Vitamin D, without testing
- Vitamin D tests are expensive
- Vitamin D tests are inaccurate
- The tests DO NOT show how much vitamin D actually gets to the cells
- It is extremely rare that a Vitamin D test will show >50 ng (many groups recommend 40-60 ng)