Older men and women with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to fall multiple times in the course of a year than their peers with adequate vitamin D levels, researchers in The Netherlands have found.
Vitamin D may be best known for its role, along with calcium, in maintaining bone health. However, vitamin D is also important for muscle mass and strength, and compromised muscle function may explain the fall risk seen in this study, according to the researchers.
The findings suggest that older adults should be sure to get adequate vitamin D from food and multivitamins, lead study author Dr Marieke B. Snijder, of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, told Reuters Health.
Other fall risk factors, such as exercise, smoking and drinking habits, did not explain the link. However, at the start of the study, participants with vitamin D deficiency did perform more poorly on tests of physical function, including walking and getting up and down from a chair.
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