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Dementia: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with lower Mini‐Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores
Author(s) -
Komatsu Caroline,
Komatsu Ricardo S,
Belem Dinah,
Ariosa Rodrigo Hara,
David Caroline Casolari Araújo Mansur,
Garcia Isabelle Belmonte
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.041180
Subject(s) - dementia , medicine , cognitive impairment , vitamin d and neurology , vitamin d deficiency , cognition , vitamin , disease , gastroenterology , psychiatry
Background Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, which is also associated with impaired cognitive performance in older adults. According to the systematic review and meta‐analysis conducted by Anweiler et al. (2013), AD cases had lower serum vitamin D concentrations than matched controls. The quality assessment of systematic reviews of vitamin D, cognition and dementia conducted by Aghajafari et al. (2018) also corroborated the potential link between low serum vitamin D concentrations and dementia. Method 40 outpatients with the diagnostic of AD according to criteria proposed by NINCDS‐ADRDA (2011), followed – up at a public university hospital, had their vitamin D levels assessed and MMSE scores evaluated. Results 9 patients (22,5%) presented vitamin D normal range (vitamin D level ≥ 30 ng/mL) and 31 patients (77,5%) presented vitamin D deficiency (vitamin D level < 30 ng/mL). From the vitamin D normal range group 5 patients (55,56%) presented moderate cognitive impairment (MMSE = 10 – 20) and 4 (44,44%) patients presented mild cognitive impairment (MMSE > 20). From the vitamin D deficiency group 4 patients (12,90%) presented severe cognitive impairment (MMSE < 10), 10 patients (32,27%) presented moderate cognitive impairment and 17 patients (54,83%) presented mild cognitive impairment. Both groups, vitamin D normal range and vitamin D deficiency, had on average the same educational level: 2,89 and 3,19 years respectively. Conclusion In this sample of patients with AD, vitamin D deficiency is associated with lower MMSE scores when compared to vitamin D normal range.