ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Vitamin D levels remained fairly stable during ageing with increasing levels in persons aged 55-65 years old and decreasing levels in persons aged 65-88 years old. The seasonal variation was larger than the longitudinal change. Our findings implicate that vitamin D supplementation becomes more important in older age groups and during wintertime. INTRODUCTION: Longitudinal changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) levels during aging have not been studied extensively. Two studies showed increasing serum 25-OHD levels. One of these studies suggested that there might be decreasing levels in persons aged 65 years and older. The objectives of the current study are the following: (1) to examine longitudinal changes in serum 25-OHD levels in different age groups and (2) to describe the seasonal variation in different age groups. METHODS: Data of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), an ongoing cohort study, were used. Two different cohorts were included: (1) younger cohort: aged 55-65 years old at baseline, n = 738, follow-up of 6 years and (2) older cohort: aged 65-88 years old at baseline, n = 1,320, follow-up of 13 years. RESULTS: At baseline, average levels were 56.5 nmol/L in the younger cohort and 51.1 nmol/L in the older cohort. In the younger cohort, a longitudinal increase in the mean serum 25-OHD levels of 4 nmol/L in 6 years was observed; in the older cohort, a longitudinal decrease in the mean serum 25-OHD levels of 4 nmol/L in 13 years was observed. The seasonal variation was ±12 nmol/L in the younger cohort and ±7 nmol/L in the older cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term serum 25-OHD levels remained fairly stable during aging with slightly increasing levels in persons aged 55-65 years old and slightly decreasing levels in persons aged 65-88 years old. On average, the seasonal variation was larger than the longitudinal change. Our findings implicate that vitamin D supplementation becomes more important in older age groups and during wintertime.