Vitamin D and Geriatric Assessment: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Cohort of Centenarians in the Central Region of Russian Federation

Background . The trend towards aging of the population is global, which makes the study of etiology, prevention and treatment of age-related disorders relevant. Increasing number of studies highlights the influence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency on health state in older people, as well as its correlation with geriatric syndromes prevalence. However, at the moment it is not known whether these patterns persist in patients older than 90 due to the limited number of studies on this population. Aim . To assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a cohort of centenarians in the central region of Russian Federation and to study its relationship with the presence of geriatric syndromes. Materials and methods . The study was carried out by Russian Gerontology Research and Clinical Centre of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University and Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Medical and Biological Health Risks. It was a cross-sectional study on the cohort of centenarians (90 years and older). Complex geriatric assessment was performed. Complex geriatric assessment included past medical history, geriatric scales and questionnaires (MMSE, SARC-F, MNA scores). Blood samples were taken to assess the 25-OH vitamin D levels using chemiluminescence method. The study is reviewed by the ethics committee (№ 30 24.12.2019). The statistical analysis was performed using Python version 3.9 and R version 4.1.3. Results . The study included 3,235 people aged 90 to 107 years. Median level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 9 ng/ml, 86.7% of participants were found to be 25(OH)D deficient, and in 8.3% insufficiency 25(OH)D was detected. Using the intergroup analysis, the association between 25-OH vitamin D levels and some geriatric syndromes, such as malnutrition, sarcopenia and cognitive impairment was observed. However, after adjusting to physical activity and nutrition statistically significant association was demonstrated only for cognitive impairment. Conclusion . The results obtained on the association between low levels of 25-OH vitamin D and cognitive impairment among centenarians confirm the importance of vitamin D deficiency prevention and might be starting point for future studies.