The Finnish study was based on the Mini-Finland Health Survey, which was conducted from 1978 to 1980, with Parkinson disease occurrence follow-up through the end of 2007. During the 29-year follow-up period 50 incident Parkinson disease cases occurred among 3173 men and women aged 50-79 years and free of Parkinson disease at baseline. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was determined from frozen samples stored at baseline. Estimates of the relationship between serum vitamin D concentration and Parkinson disease incidence were calculated using the Cox model.
They found: "Individuals with higher serum vitamin D concentrations showed a reduced risk of Parkinson disease. The relative risk between the highest and lowest quartiles was 0.33 after adjustment for sex, age, marital status, education, alcohol consumption, leisure-time physical activity, smoking, body mass index, and month of blood draw."
The authors concluded: "The results are consistent with the suggestion that high vitamin D status provides protection against Parkinson disease. It cannot, however, be excluded that the finding is due to residual confounding and further studies are thus needed."
Here is another potential benefit of good vitamin D levels in the elderly. Intervention studies are needed.
For the full abstract, click here.
Arch Neurol 67(7):808-811, July 2010 © 2010 to the American Medical Association
Serum Vitamin D and the Risk of Parkinson Disease. Paul Knekt, Annamari Kilkkinen, Harri Rissanen, Jukka Marniemi, Katri Sääksjärvi, Markku Heliövaara. Correspondence to Dr. Knekt: paul.knekt@thl.fi
Category: N. Neurological, T. Endocrine/Metabolic/Nutritional. Keywords: vitamin D, elderly, Parkinson disease, cohort study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Linda French, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 3 August 2010
