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WBAL's Donna Hamilton interviews patient Trixie Nordberg regarding Vitamin D

Gerontologist Dr. Ernestine Wright Of Stella Maris Discusses Research In Role Of Vitamin D In Combating Cognitive Decline In The Elderly On WBAL-TV11's "Woman's Doctor"

Recent research now indicates that Vitamin D3 may reduce cognitive decline in the elderly.

Most of us would love to be in as good a shape as Trixie Nordberg. She walks vigorously, 35 minutes a day without fail, and does 30 minutes of yoga each and every day, and goes hiking in the woods on the weekend. And she's 79.

"Taking my health seriously is one of my main objectives in life, at this point in my life, to take care of myself," Nordberg said.

Trixie also follows a healthy diet and takes Vitamin D every day.

Gerontologist Dr. Ernestine Wright, Assistant Medical Director of Stella Maris, a long-term/geriatric care facility in Timonium, MD, and part of Mercy Health Services, notes that Vitamin D3 helps prevent falls and fractures in the elderly.

"And more recently, there appears to be compelling evidence that Vitamin D is important in maintaining cognitive and brain function," Dr. Wright said.

Trixie found her levels of Vitamin D were very low when Mercy Ridge, the senior living community where she resides, began testing Vitamin D levels among its residents two years ago.

Gerontologist Dr. Ernestine Wright of Stella Maris

"My Vitamin D level was only 32 or 31. So Dr. Wright and I agreed to increase it. I'm up to 5,000 units of Vitamin D," Nordberg said.

"I was actually quite surprised to find that a large percentage of my patients did exhibit signs of Vitamin D deficiency," Dr. Wright said.

Meanwhile, Trixie does everything she can to stay healthy and independent, even if she doesn't feel like it.

"There are times when I think I'll stay in bed another hour--NO, get up! You don't just take the pill and sit on the couch for the rest of your life. You have to be active," she said.

Dr. Wright noted that if future research proves the connection between Vitamin D and combating cognitive decline, that would help many more people stay independent as they age, saving the U.S. billions of dollars.

For more information and to view Dr. Wright's interview online, click this link: http://www.wbaltv.com/video/24905843/detail.html.