Low levels of vitamin D play an important role in the development of Parkinson’s disease. (Photo: Bigstock)
September 19, 2019
By a staff writer
Natural Health News
Health News – New evidence suggests that low levels of vitamin D play an important role in the development of Parkinson’s disease and a corresponding increase in the frequency of falls and insomnia.
Scientists also link the neurodegenerative condition to a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and low bone mass density (BMD) of the spine and neck.
“These results suggest that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD), while vitamin D supplementation may be used to treat non-motor symptoms of PD,” says the group from Suochow University in China.
Initial findings
The team began by enrolling 182 patients with PD and 185 healthy controls. Serum vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured along with background BMD of the spine and neck. They found that:
- Serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in Parkinson’s patients than in healthy controls
- Those with lower vitamin D levels had a significantly higher frequency of falls and insomnia
- They also had significantly more depression and anxiety
- People with Parkinson’s also had significantly lower mean BMD of the spine and cervical spine
These findings remained true even after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index.
Deficiency symptoms
Vitamin D deficiency is common in people with neurodegenerative diseases; Studies show that about 55% of Parkinson’s patients, 41% of Alzheimer’s patients have low levels – compared to 36% of the control population.
Vitamin D also plays an important role in bone metabolism and vitamin D deficiency may help explain the increased risk of falls and fractures found in this study.
Studies have also shown that vitamin D levels in patients with Parkinson’s disease, as well as gastrointestinal function, are mainly related to delayed gastric emptying time.
Regarding the increase in falls, the authors write: “The most commonly cited theory for the link between falls and vitamin D levels is associated with decreased muscle mass and strength.”
The connection between vitamin D, mood and sleep disorders is a little less clear.
The researchers also acknowledge the limitation of the study, which only assessed 25(OH)D levels. The assortment of different sources of vitamin D opens up the possibility that different forms of vitamin D may produce different results. They also note that vitamin D levels decrease and can be affected by many factors, including vitamin D-rich food intake, exposure to sunlight, and skin color. These things, they say, require careful study.
The study appeared in the journal Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.
