Vitamin D deficiency doubles the risk of Alzheimer's disease, dementia

A new study ahs shown that vitamin D deficiency substantially increases risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people.

According to the study, people with severe Vitamin D deficiency are more than twice as likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The study has found that adults who were moderately deficient in vitamin D, had a 53 per cent increased risk of developing dementia of any kind, and the risk increased to 125 per cent in those who were severely deficient.

The results recorded for Alzheimer's disease have shown that moderately deficient group 69 per cent more likely to develop this type of dementia, jumping to a 122 per cent increased risk for those severely deficient.

Lead author Dr David Llewellyn said that the results are surprising as it has shown that the association between low Vitamin D levels and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease was twice as strong as anticipated.

The study was published in the online issue of Neurology.