Vitamin D and B12 Deficiencies Raise Mortality and Neurological Risks in Seniors

A study of 5,520 adults over 50 tracked for six years found that the combination of abdominal obesity and vitamin D deficiency more than doubled the risk of death, increasing mortality by 123% compared with individuals lacking both conditions. The research, published in *Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism* and conducted by University College London with funding from Brazil’s FAPESP, showed that abdominal obesity alone raised mortality risk by 47% and vitamin D deficiency alone by 81%, highlighting how excess fat can sequester vitamin D and amplify chronic inflammation.

A separate U.S. study of 231 healthy seniors (average age 71) published in *Annals of Neurology* reported that many older adults with blood levels of vitamin B12 deemed normal still exhibited neurological impairments. Low levels of the active form, holotranscobalamin, were linked to slower cognitive processing, visual perception delays, greater white‑matter lesions, and higher blood tau protein, suggesting an elevated risk of neurodegenerative disease. The authors recommend more specific testing of B12 activity to better protect older patients.

Both studies underscore the importance of monitoring specific vitamin deficiencies and related health factors in aging populations to prevent serious mortality and cognitive outcomes.