Falls and frailty associated with low levels of both vitamins B12 and D3 – June 2023

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Association of vitamins B12 and D3 with Balance and Falls in a sample of Greek older people

J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact . 2023 Jun 1;23(2):205-214.
Konstantinos Stolakis 1, Panagiotis Megas 2, Elias Panagiotopoulos 3, Manolis Mentis 4, Eleftheria Antoniadou 5, Xristina Kalivioti 5, Minos Tyllianakis 2, Zinon Kokkalis 2

Objectives: Balance disorders and falls are common in the elderly and have a multifactorial etiology. The purpose of the present cross-sectional study is to evaluate a possible association between vitamins D3 and B12 and impaired balance and falls.

Methods: Ninety patients, females and males, were evaluated, from December 2019 to December 2020 during their first ambulatory visit at the Prevention of Falls Clinic of the General University Hospital of Patras. Vitamins B12 and D3 levels were measured. The number of falls during the last 12 months was recorded and patients were assessed using Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), Fried Phenotype, Walking Speed, Hand Grip Strength, Short Physical Performance Battery.

Results: A multiple linear regression analysis showed that Mini-BESTest are statistically significantly predicted, F(10,79)=18.734, p<0.001, adj. R2=0.70 from Vit-B12 and FRIED Phenotype (pre-frail vs non-frail). Similarly, in the multiple binary logistic regression analysis, falls were statistically significantly predicted from FRIED Phenotype (pre-frail vs non-frail) ?2(5)=63.918, p<0.001, Nagelkerke R Squared=0.68.

Conclusions: Higher levels of vitamins B12 but not of D3 are associated with better balance but not with less falls in a sample of community-dwelling older people.
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VitaminDWiki – Vitamin B12 contains

Vitamin B12 is not a cofactor of Vitamin D, but it is often needed with Vitamin D
Surfing the web finds

• B12 deficiency increases with age
• B12 appears to have no toxic upper limit
• Some people get frequent B12 injections or I.V to restore levels
  • Injection probably be needed
• Only a small portion of B12 taken orally gets into the bloodstream
  • Sublingual B12 does not have that problem
  • Vitamin B12 – great improvements with nano forms – March 2021
• B12 is stored in the liver – half-life of > 2 years - But. Dr. Greger says to take it weekly or daily
• B12 deficiency symptoms include poor gut - which can reduce uptake of Vitamin D
  • unless use gut-friendly forms of Vitamin D, including topical
• B12 can be supplemented via pills, sublingual, transdermal patch, injection, emulsion, and spray
  • As with Vitamin D, a massive (loading) dose can restore levels quickly
  • Nano forms of B12 are more bio-available - as with many other supplements

59 items in Vitamin B12 category on VitaminDWiki

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VitaminDWiki – Falls and Fractures category contains

• 258 items in FALLS and FRACTURES
• Vitamin D and Calcium cost-effectively reduce falls and fractures – April 2019
• see also Overview Seniors and Vitamin D
  • Overview Fractures and Falls and Vitamin D
  • Overview Fractures and vitamin D
  • Muscles and Vitamin D - many studies

Falls

• Fall prevention - Vitamin D is one of the ways - umbrella review Jan 2024
• Deaths due to falls doubled in just a decade (age-adjusted, perhaps decreased vitamin D) – June 2019
• Preventing Falls in Older Adults – Vitamin D combination is the best - JAMA Meta-analysis Nov 2017
• Falls cut in half by 100,000 IU vitamin D monthly - RCT 2016
• Falls reduced by a third if achieved 40 ng level vitamin D– RCT Sept 2018
  • Note: It took 6 months to get to that level. Most trials last only 3 months
• Vitamin D prevents falls – majority of meta-analyses conclude – meta-meta analysis Feb 2015
• Falls reduced by Vitamin D: 13 percent reduction if more than 700 IU – review of 38 trials – Aug 2022

Left hand column section as of Nov 2024

Fracture

• Hip fractures are predicted by 10 factors – low Vitamin D is the biggest – Aug 2023
• Vitamin D and fractures – 24 meta-analyses and counting – Dec 2014
• Low trauma bone fractures in seniors – considering Vitamin D loading dose for all, without testing – Nov 2019
• Vitamin K (any amount and any kind) reduced bone fractures by 24 percent – meta-analysis – May 2019
• 77+ Hip fracture items in VitaminDWiki title   Click here for details examples:
  • Risk of Hip fracture cut in half if Vitamin D was prescribed - Aug 2023
  • Call to action: Vitamin D to prevent of treat hip fracture (50,000 weekly for 8 weeks, then bi-weekly) – Holick July 2020

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VitaminDWiki – Frailty and Vitamin D - many studies 15+