Vitamin D and mortality in older men and women

P>Objective Vitamin D deficiency is common among the elderly and may contribute to cardiovascular disease. The aim of our study was to elucidate whether low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] are associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Design and patients The Hoorn Study is a prospective population-based study among older men and women. Measurements Fasting serum 25(OH)D was determined in 614 study participants at the follow-up visit in 2000-2001, the baseline for the present analysis. To account for sex differences and seasonal variations of 25(OH)D levels we formed sex-specific quartiles, which were calculated from the 25(OH)D values of each season. Results After a mean follow-up period of 6 center dot 2 years, 51 study participants died including 20 deaths due to cardiovascular causes. Unadjusted Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs; with 95% confidence intervals) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the first when compared with the upper three 25(OH)D quartiles were 2 center dot 24 (1 center dot 28-3 center dot 92; P = 0 center dot 005) and 4 center dot 78 (1 center dot 95-11 center dot 69; P = 0 center dot 001), respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, arterial hypertension, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, glomerular filtration rate and waist-to-hip ratio, the HRs remained significant for all-cause [1 center dot 97 (1 center dot 08-3 center dot 58; P = 0 center dot 027)] and for cardiovascular mortality [5 center dot 38 (2 center dot 02-14 center dot 34; P = 0 center dot 001)]. Conclusions Low 25(OH)D levels are associated with all-cause mortality and even more pronounced with cardiovascular mortality, but it remains unclear whether vitamin D deficiency is a cause or a consequence of a poor health status. Therefore, intervention studies are warranted to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation reduces mortality and cardiovascular diseases.