Vitamin D intake is associated with dementia risk in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP)

Abstract

Introduction: Low vitamin D intake and low vitamin D circulating levels have been associated with increased risk for dementia. We aimed to examine the association between vitamin D intake and dementia in a multiethnic cohort.

Methods: A longitudinal study of 1759 non-demented older (≥65 years) participants of the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project with follow-up visits and completed a food frequency questionnaire. Dementia was diagnosed by consensus using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. Cox hazard regression was performed.

Results: During a mean follow-up of 5.8 years, 329 participants developed dementia. Participants with the highest tertile of vitamin D intake from food sources had decreased risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-0.97, P = .030) for dementia compared with those with the lowest tertile, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4, physical activity, Mediterranean diet (MeDI) score, income, depression, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and smoking.

Discussion: Higher vitamin D intake is associated with decreased risk of dementia in a multiethnic cohort.

Keywords: Alzheimer's; Alzheimer's dementia; Alzheimer's disease; Alzheimer's risk; Vitamin D; WHICAP; dementia; dementia risk; lifestyle and dementia; lifestyle risk factors; mediation; modifiable risk factors dementia; primary prevention dementia; sleep; sleep and dementia; sleep disturbance; sleep dysfunction; vitamin D and Alzheimer's; vitamin D and dementia; vitamin D and sleep; vitamin D intake.

Figure 1:. Participant Selection

Participant Selection From participants in Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP-II), we excluded 374 participants with prevalent dementia. We then excluded 192 participants without diet data. Among 2234 non-demented participants with diet data, 416 participants with no follow up visit and 59 participants with diet data at the last visit were excluded. The remaining 1759 non-demented participants with diet data and follow up visit(s) were included in the study.