Study Links Vitamin Gaps to Elderly Cognition
36.4% of participants had MCI, with vitamin D deficiency notably higher among them
Hyderabad: Nearly four in 10 older adults who took part in a Hyderabad study showed signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with vitamin deficiencies emerging as a striking common feature. Researchers at the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition found that 36.4 per cent of the 184 adults aged 55 to 85 years assessed had MCI, a stage in which memory and thinking begin to deteriorate while everyday activities can still be managed independently.
Among those with MCI, 72 per cent were deficient in vitamin D, compared with 48 per cent of those without impairment. Deficiencies of vitamin B2 and folate (B9) were also significantly more common in the MCI group. Overall, lower blood levels of vitamins D, B1, B2, B6, B9 and B12 were recorded among participants with MCI.
The researchers noted a cumulative effect: deficiencies in more than two of the six vitamins studied were seen in 39 per cent of the MCI group, compared with 19 per cent among those without impairment. Higher levels of vitamin D, B6 and B9 were associated with better scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, with vitamin D and B6 showing the strongest links to lower probability of MCI.
Biomarker analysis revealed that participants with MCI had higher levels of beta‑amyloid, total tau and neurofilament light chain, all associated with neuronal injury and neurodegeneration. Levels of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor, which supports neuronal health, were lower. The MCI group also showed higher glycated haemoglobin and systolic blood pressure, tying the findings to familiar risk factors for poor brain health.
“Healthy ageing requires attention not only to disease management but also to nutritional well‑being,” said Dr Bharati Kulkarni, director, ICMR‑NIN.
Dr G. Bhanuprakash Reddy, who led the research team, said further longitudinal studies and clinical trials were needed to establish whether improving nutritional status could prevent or slow cognitive decline.
The researchers cautioned that the findings show associations and cannot establish causation. Still, they suggested that checking nutritional status alongside blood sugar, blood pressure and cognitive function could become an important part of conversations around healthy ageing.
