The Role of Vitamin D in the Aged Population

Vitamin D plays a fundamental role in humanity. Indeed, low levels of vitamin D causes catastrophic physical and mental effects especially to the elderly. Research has been based mainly on the role of vitamin D in skeletal and muscle maintenance.  However, the studies should be skewed towards understanding the role of receptors in mitigating effects of vitamin D deficiency. The prevention of chronic infections such as cancer and heath attack is vital. There are also risk factors that are associated with aging. These include poor vitamin D intake and increase in the rate of adiposity. There is therefore need to understand the role played by vitamin D receptors in prevention of chronic infections among the aged population.

Vitamin D deficiency contributes greatly to several health complications. It negatively impacts the relative growth and development of the ageing population. Vitamin D is highly required by the ageing population. This is to maintain the physical skeletal integrity of the bones and overall skeletal integrity. The only source of vitamin D is the Ultraviolet wavelength. Its radiations cause the synthesis of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D, a very powerful biomarker of Vitamin D. The biomarker is further biochemically hydrolyzed to yield 1, 25‐dihydroxyvitamin D which is a useful and active metabolite (Gloth, Gundberg, Hollis, Haddad, & Tobin, 1995).  

The aged population who are mostly 65 years and above a prone to health compilations. Heath failure, muscular complications and respiratory failures are some of the negative effects of vitamin D deficiency. In Europe, the seasonal variation of sunlight is the main cause of vitamin D deficiency. Some observational scientific studies have shown that seasonal patterns are the main cause of lower serum 25(OH) D concentration.

The Goal of the Study

The goal of the study project is to determine how an increase in vitamin D intake through alternative sources such as food supplementation could affect the health outcomes of the aged. It is worth to understand how the bone integrity of the aged population is affected by the approach. The health outcomes are therefore a measure of relevance to the public health sector.

The outcome objectives

In analyzing vitamin D deficiency, the objective of the study is to determine the influence of sunlight wavelength exposure among the aged regarding the level of serum 25 (OH) D concentration. Also, the study aim is also to determine the relationship that exists between Vitamin D levels and impact on various health outcomes. These health outcomes are in tandem with those of the public healthcare system in Europe.

Post Situation and Audience Analysis 

The post situation and audience analysis involved studies of the healthy population. The examination of the aged population entails examining the reduced health risks as a result of an increase in vitamin D dosage.  The specific health outcomes of the selected sample of the aged are analyzed.  The clinical manifestations of the bone integrity of aged population (n= 100, and the mean age of 64 y).  Musculoskeletal health outcome is used as an integral measure of vitamin D levels. Also, some supplementation of vitamin D is also provided to determine the difference in musculoskeletal integrity. The hips and pelvis are the two sites with high chance of fractures among the elderly. The diagnosis of these fractures entails the use of radiography. Radiography data among the sampled population is useful in the determination of the decree of musculoskeletal damage among the elderly. Vitamin D levels among the elderly population with advance fracture damage is evaluated and recording for comparison reasons. The fractured bones and healthy ones tend to have different levels effects and hence causes vitamin D deficiency among the elderly population.

Comparative data is recorded based on different age brackets among the aged population. The assessment of the evidence provided is based on the diet and exposure to sunlight. Moreover, some additional confounding factors are also considered for the study. These factors affect the health outcomes of the selected population. They include smoking, alcoholic activities, social class and existing medical treatment. For instance, smoking has got a catastrophic health effects on the rate of calcium and catabolism of vitamin D. this is due to depression of the vitamin D- PTH system which is essential in metabolism process of vitamin D. Smoking causes deterioration of skeletons. This in turn increases the chances of developing another musculoskeletal disorder known as osteoporosis which is deterioration of bone integrity.

Post situation objectives

The level of serum 25 (OH) D levels determines the outcome objectives of the study. It is used as an integral marker in studying the empirical data that exists between vitamin D and health outcomes. The objective also determines how exposure to vitamin D and dieting affects the factors that affect the synthesis of vitamin D metabolites. It is also essential to group the elderly population based on the levels of serum. 25 (OH) D. The healthier individuals in the sampled population are examined to determine if indeed their serum levels are high. Those with compromised health outcomes are also grouped to determine if their serum levels are low.

The situation objective of the aged also involves understanding the effects of levels of 25 (OH) D. to their genetic origin and if physiological state affects the health outcomes. The study determines why for example, the younger individuals in the sampled population have got lower levels of serum 25 (OH) D. Moreover, the study analyses the relationship that exists between different levels of serum 25 (OH) D and the weight of a sampled population. Indeed, obese individuals tend to be vitamin D deficient (Holick, & Chen, 2008).  

Post communication strategies

The evaluation of the evidence obtained from the ageing population is strictly based on scientific grounds. The existing research on vitamin D deficiency and dieting formed a very important basis for the study. Some of the fundamental strategies aid in facilitating implementation of the issues on dieting of vitamin D. Education outreach and training is used in the project. It entails direct communication with the sampled population. This helps in informing the participants on the objectives and goals of the health study. The outreach also creates the excellent rapport between the participants and the researcher (Kennel, Drake, & Hurley, 2010).

Audit feedback is also a strategy used in Vitamin D study. This includes proving some health books and charts to the sampled population.  This strategy allows for the efficient determination of the health conditions of the participants who are given vitamin D supplementation. The progress through the selected period was recorded based on the feedback from the selected aged population

Consultation with the expert medical practitioner is also a vital strategy used. The information obtained from supplementing the diet had to be of the highest integrity and credibility. The results obtained has to be reviewed by a medical expert to avoid health risks associated with excess vitamin D supplementation or lower levels of vitamin D intake.

Post action and Evaluation plans

There are key issues that are considered in this study. The evaluation is to illustrate how vitamin D levels cause different changes in health outcomes. These issues relate to biochemical functionality, dieting and measurement of vitamin D exposure among the aged population. The excess and deficiency of vitamin d are also communicated by relating to the various health outcomes. The purpose of giving a review on the impact on the health outcomes is to give detailed evidence on how vitamin D levels affect the public health strategies. This includes targeting the low-income population by providing vitamin D supplementation. The communication evaluation covers musculoskeletal on to health outcomes such as bone health integrity, muscle health and the prevention of the fractures (Lips, 2001).

The evaluation also entails assessing the risks involved in the implementation of the dieting recommendations among the elderly. The principal evaluation is to determine the vitamin D risk assessment. Studies are therefore restricted to the preventive mechanisms of the health outcomes rather than managing the risks involved. Secondary prevention mechanisms entails detecting the health outcomes among the elderly through early screening of vitamin D deficiency effects. Malformations such as poor bone and skeletal integrity are detected earlier. The primary prevention programs are also used to combat the effects caused by vitamin D deficiency. The best approach used among the elderly is using vitamin D supplementation through improved diets.

References

Gloth, F. M., Gundberg, C. M., Hollis, B. W., Haddad, J. G., & Tobin, J. D. (1995). Vitamin          D deficiency in homebound elderly persons. Jama, 274(21), 1683-1686.

Holick, M. F., & Chen, T. C. (2008). Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with

health consequences–. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 87(4), 1080S-1086S.

Lips, P. (2001). Vitamin D deficiency and secondary hyperparathyroidism in the elderly:

            consequences for bone loss and fractures and therapeutic implications. Endocrine

            reviews, 22(4), 477-501.

Kennel, K. A., Drake, M. T., & Hurley, D. L. (2010, August). Vitamin D deficiency in

            adults: when to test and how to treat. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 85, No. 8,

            pp. 752-758). Elsevier.