None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Balance impairment is an important fall risk factor and increases in range in postural sway in the medio-lateral direction in older adults are associated with increased fall risk and rates. Multivariate analysis reveals serum vitamin D levels as an independent variable associated with postural sway. In individuals with suboptimal levels of vitamin D, postural sway improves after supplementation, independently of changes to fall rate or number of people falling. Both epidemiological and longitudinal studies have shown that vitamin D levels show seasonal variation. Lowest levels of serum vitamin D are recorded towards the end of winter, approximately four weeks after the shortest day of the year. Fall rates have been shown to decrease post supplementation with vitamin D in older adults with insufficient levels (between 22 and 49nmol/L) (RaR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.95). As vitamin D varies seasonally, and is related to postural sway, this study investigates whether postural sway varies seasonally and is related to seasonal changes in vitamin D or fall rate.
Interventions
Time over a one year period to determine effect of season on physical fall risk factors. Data collected from recruited community dwelling older older adults beween the end of spring 2009 and summer 2010, with participants attending for 5 data collection time points over the study period at approximately 3 monthly intervals (including retest of original season).
Sponsors
The University of Tasmania
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
60 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Community dwelling adults over 60 years of age able to ambulate independently
Exclusion criteria
Diagnosed kidney and liver disease, vitmain D supplementation over 800iu/day
Outcome results
None listed