title: Vitamin D status and related parameters in a healthy population: the effects of age, sex, and season.
abstract: The effects of age, sex, renal function, and seasonal variation on serum parameters within the vitamin D endocrine system were studied cross-sectionally in a healthy population of 167 men and 114 women, aged 20-94 yr. Serum 25-hydroxy- and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [25OHD and 1,25-(OH)2D] did not decline with age in either sex. Nonlinear regression using a sine function showed a significant seasonal variation in 25OHD and 1,25-(OH)2D in both sexes (P less than 0.005). Serum intact PTH increased significantly by 35% over the age span in both sexes (P less than 0.005). In women, serum phosphorus and total and ionized calcium remained constant with age. In sharp contrast, males had a marked 25% fall in phosphorus across the age span (r = -0.564; P less than 0.0001) and a slight but significant 4% decline in total and ionized calcium. Creatinine clearance declined markedly with age, but was not related to 1,25-(OH)2D in either sex. Only in men was there a significant but modest inverse relationship between creatinine clearance and PTH (r = -0.212; P less than 0.05), which was multicollinear with age. We conclude that in healthy individuals 1) compromised vitamin D status or serum 1,25-(OH)2D levels are not a normal concomitant of aging; 2) declining glomerular filtration does not appear to be the principle cause of the age-related rise in PTH; and 3) there are marked male-female differences in phosphorus metabolism across the age span.
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Hollis
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Tobin
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood*; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000097:blood*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D010758:Phosphorus; D003404:Creatinine; D002117:Calcitriol; D002112:Calcifediol; D002118:Calcium