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Utility of geriatric assessment tools to identify 85-years old subjects with vitamin D deficiency

  • Geriatric Assessment and Vitamin D
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

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Abstract

Objectives

To calculate the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in subjects aged 85 years old and to study the relationship between some common geriatric evaluation scales and vitamin D status.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

A community-based study.

Participants

312 subjects aged 85 years old.

Measurements

Geriatric assessment was based on comorbidity, functional status according to the Barthel Index (BI) and Lawton Index (LI), cognitive status measured by the Spanish version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MEC), nutritional risk according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and gait using the Tinetti Gait Scale. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were used to assess vitamin D status. Hypovitaminosis D was considered as < 25 ng/ml and deficiency <11 ng/ml.

Results

Mean serum 25(OH)D level was 28 ± 30 ng/ml. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was 52.5% (38.1% insufficiency and 14.4% deficiency). Men had higher levels than women (32.2 ± 44 vs. 25.2 ± 25 ng/ml; p=0.04). The bivariate analyses identified an association between MNA scores and hypovitaminosis D, and showed that females ande participants with poor BI, Tinetti and MNA scores were associated with deficiency. Logistic regression analysis confirmed a significant association between poor MNA scores and both hypovitaminosis D (p<0.04, OR 1.066, 95% CI 1.002–1.135) and vitamin D deficiency (p<0.0001, OR 1.192, 95% CI 1.099–1.293).

Conclusions

More than half the population aged 85 years has a vitamin D deficit and 14.4% show a deficiency. A lower score on the MNA scale is associated with a greater likelihood of having lower vitamin D serum values.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geriatric Unit. Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    Francesc Formiga & R. Pujol

  2. “El Plà” Primary Healthcare Centre (CAP-I), Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    A. Ferrer

  3. Unitat de Suport a la Recerca de Costa de Ponent, IDIAP J Gol, ICS, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Almeda

  4. CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain

    J. Almeda

  5. Geriatric Unit. Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

    A. San Jose

  6. Primary Healthcare Centre (CAP), Sant Andreu de la Barca, Barcelona, Spain

    A. Gil

  7. Geriatric Unit, Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08907, Barcelona, Spain

    Francesc Formiga

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  1. Francesc Formiga
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  2. A. Ferrer
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  3. J. Almeda
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  4. A. San Jose
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  5. A. Gil
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  6. R. Pujol
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Correspondence to Francesc Formiga.

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Formiga, F., Ferrer, A., Almeda, J. et al. Utility of geriatric assessment tools to identify 85-years old subjects with vitamin D deficiency. J Nutr Health Aging 15, 110–114 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0022-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0022-8

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