Association of Vitamin D Levels with Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

Background: Emerging evidence suggests the potential relationship between vitamin D deficiency and risk of cognitive impairment or dementia. To what extent the excess risk of dementia conferred by vitamin D deficiency is less clear. Objective: We summarized the current evidence from several aspects and further quantified these associations. Methods: We collected relevant prospective cohort studies by searching PubMed, Embase and Cochrane up to July 2023. The pooled relative risks (RR) were evaluated by random-effects models. Dose-response analyses were conducted by the method of two-stage generalized least squares regression. Results: Of 9,267 identified literatures, 23 were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analyses, among which 9 and 4 literatures were included in the dose-response analyses for the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Vitamin D deficiency exhibited a 1.42 times risk for dementia (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.21–1.65) and a 1.57-fold excess risk for AD (95% CI = 1.15–2.14). And vitamin D deficiency was associated with 34% elevated risk with cognitive impairment (95% CI = 1.19–1.52). Additionally, vitamin D was non-linearly related to the risk of dementia (p nonlinearity = 0.0000) and AD (p nonlinearity = 0.0042). The approximate 77.5–100 nmol/L 25-hydroxyvitamin D [ 25(OH)D ] was optimal for reducing dementia risk. And the AD risk seemed to be decreased when the 25(OH)D level >40.1 nmol/L. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency was a risk factor for dementia, AD, and cognitive impairment. The nonlinear relationships may further provide the optimum dose of 25(OH)D for dementia prevention.