Vitamin D Is Equal to Placebo for Preventing Cognitive Decline in African American Women with Low Vitamin D Levels
Am Fam Physician. 2019 Jul 15;100(2):118.
Cognitive decline is associated with poor activation of Vitamin D Receptor
Items in BOTH the categories Cognition and Vitamin D Receptor Gene
- Alzheimer's 9X more likely in women with a poor Vitamin D receptor – Sept 2022
- Alzheimer's disease 1.8 X higher risk if poor Vitamin D Receptor (if not take action) - May 2022
- 2X higher risk of Alzheimer’s if poor Vitamin D Receptor – Meta-analysis June 2021
- Lower vitamin D in blood causes Alzheimer's Disease (Mendelian gene analysis) – Dec 2019
- Cognitive decline not helped by daily vitamin D getting to just 30 ng – RCT July 2019
- Alzheimer’s is associated with all 7 of the genes which restrict vitamin D from getting to tissues – Sept 2018
- Resveratrol for Alzheimer's disease – Sept 2017
- Alzheimer’s (1.2X) and Parkenson’s (1.3X) more likely if poor Vitamin D Receptor – meta-analysis March 2019
- Treating herpes reduced incidence of senile dementia by 10 X (HSV1 reduces VDR by 8X) – 2018
- Body may change gene activation if more Vitamin D is needed (Schizophrenia in this case) – Oct 2018
- Alzheimer’s associated with Vitamin D and Vitamin D receptor – video and pdf – Aug 2018
- Cerebral small vessel disease 2.5 X more likely if poor Vitamin D Receptor – Sept 2018
- Alzheimer’s Disease is associated with genes which restrict vitamin D – Aug 2015
- Parkinson's and Alzheimer's: associations with vitamin D receptor genes and race – meta-analysis July 2014
- Alzheimer’s patients 3X more likely to have a malfunctioning vitamin D receptor gene – 2012
- Alzheimer’s patients are genetically 70 percent more likely to be vitamin D in-efficient – Feb 2012
Poor Vitamin D receptor can be bypassed by >12+ ways, which include
Infrequent dosing
- Schizophrenia reduced by biweekly 50,000 IU Vitamin D and probiotics – RCT Feb 2019
- Methadone cognition improved by 50,000 IU of vitamin D every 2 weeks – RCT May 2019
Very High Dose
Omega-3
- Cognitive decline in elderly slowed by Omega-3 – meta-analysis May 2015
- Omega-3 helps brains of seniors – May 2019
- Omega-3 found to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in animals – Sept 2017
Resveratrol
- Resveratrol fights Parkinson, Alzheimers, Diabetes, Cardiovascular, ALS, Stroke, etc.– Nov 2018
- Cognitive decline not helped by daily vitamin D getting to just 30 ng – RCT July 2019
- Resveratrol and Brain Mitochondria: a Review – March 2018
- Resveratrol for Alzheimer's disease – Sept 2017
- Mild Traumatic Brain Injury prevented with Omega-3, Resveratrol, etc (in rats) – Oct 2017
- Decrease of Alzheimer’s biomarker halted by Resveratrol (perhaps due to vitamin D) – RCT Sept 2015
Clinical Question: Is vitamin D more effective than placebo in preventing cognitive decline in African American women older than 65 years who have low serum vitamin D levels at baseline?
Bottom Line: No. (Level of Evidence = 2b)
Synopsis
The authors recruited African American women from various community settings. During a preenrollment telephone interview, women were asked not to take vitamin D– containing supplements for four to six weeks before the study. The researchers then measured their plasma vitamin D levels and included those women with levels between 8 ng per mL (20 nmol per L) and 26 ng per mL (65 nmol per L). They excluded women with hip osteoporosis, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores of less than 21, moderate to severe vertebral fractures, liver disease, or kidney stones. The researchers randomly assigned half of the women to receive daily vitamin D3 (i.e., 2,400 IU, 3,600 IU, or 4,800 IU; n = 130) and the other half to receive matching placebo (n = 130). They used the baseline vitamin D level to determine the initial dose, then titrated the dose every three months to achieve a target level of 30 ng per mL (75 nmol per L). They also gave women in each group 1,200 mg of calcium daily. The researchers assessed the MMSE score every six months for three years and used a score of less than 27 as the cutoff for mild cognitive impairment.
Seventy-four women dropped out of the study, which raises serious concerns about trusting the final results. Among the women who completed the study, the MMSE scores increased in both groups, and the degree of improvement was comparable. The authors report no vitamin D–related adverse events. The authors do not provide sample size or power estimates for the study. They properly recognize the limitations of the MMSE in detecting cognitive decline.
Study design: Randomized controlled trial (double-blinded)
Funding source: Government
Allocation: Concealed
Setting: Population-based
Reference: Owusu JE, Islam S, K