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J Nutr Health Aging. 2013 Mar;17(3):231-4. doi: 10.1007/s12603-012-0383-7.  Hypovitaminosis D in psychogeriatric inpatients.  Lapid MI, Drake MT, Geske JR, Mundis CB, Hegard TL, Kung S, Frye MA.

OBJECTIVES:  This study investigated the rate of hypovitaminosis D in psychogeriatric inpatients and explored whether any associations exist between vitamin D levels, cognitive function, and psychiatric diagnoses.

DESIGN:  Retrospective medical record review from November 2000 through November 2010.

SETTING:  Geriatric psychiatric ward of an academic tertiary care hospital.

PARTICIPANTS:  Psychiatric inpatients aged 65 years or older.

MEASUREMENTS AND ANALYSIS METHODS: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured at admission. Associations between 25(OH)D levels, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were analyzed using Spearman correlations, and psychiatric diagnoses were analyzed using logistic regression models and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS:  In 141 subjects (mean age, 77.8 years; 86 [61%] female; 135 [96%] white), the most frequent diagnoses were

• major depressive disorder in 81 patients (57%),
• dementia in 38 (27%),
• delirium in 13 (9%),
• anxiety in 12 (8.5%),
• and bipolar disorder in 11 (8%).

Mean MMSE score was 24±6.4 (range, 3-30). Forty-three subjects (30.4%) had mild to moderate vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D, 10-24 ng/mL], and 6 (4.2%) had severe deficiency [25(OH)D <10 ng/mL].

CONCLUSIONS: Hypovitaminosis D was common in elderly psychiatric inpatients.

PMID: 23459975