A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (January 14, 2008; Volume 168, Issue 1) examined whether vitamin D₂ supplementation could reduce the risk of falls in elderly women.
The study included 302 women with an average age of 77 years who were living in assisted-living facilities. All participants had low vitamin D status (serum levels below 24 ng/mL) and a history of falling. The women were randomly assigned to receive either 1,000 IU of vitamin D₂ per day or a placebo for one year. Both groups also received 1,000 mg per day of calcium citrate.
After one year, the group receiving vitamin D experienced significantly fewer falls. The risk of having at least one fall during the year was 53% in the vitamin D group, compared with 62.9% in the placebo group. The protective effect was most evident during the winter months, when vitamin D levels tend to be lowest due to reduced sunlight exposure.
When participants were grouped by the season of their first fall, vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of an initial fall during winter and spring. In the vitamin D group, 25.2% experienced a first fall during winter, compared with 35.8% in the control group.
These findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation may help reduce fall risk in older adults with low vitamin D levels, particularly during seasons associated with lower endogenous vitamin D production.
Other research shows vitamin D to reduce pain and improve function in the elderly in general.
