Mar 19, 2015 01:22 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Vitamin D supplements play an important role in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with aging, according to a recent study.

Researchers at Loyola University Chicago found that vitamin D deficiency and chronic diseases were associated with aging such as cognitive decline, depression, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and cancer.

"Vitamin D deficiency is a common, serious medical condition that significantly affects the health and well-being of older adults," Sue Penckofer, one of the authors of the study, said in a statement.

Older adults are at risk for vitamin D deficiency due to diet, reduced time outdoors and poor skin absorption of the nutrient. With the number of people ages 65 and older expected to more than double from 2012 to 2060, the problem will become much more prevalent.

"Better understanding the relationship between vitamin D and chronic diseases in older adults and whether treatment of vitamin D deficiency can prevent or treat these disorders is important given the increasing number of people at risk for these health issues," said researcher Meghan Meehan.

The Institute of Medicine generally recommends that adults up to 70 years of age take 600 IU of vitamin D daily and adults over the age of 70 consume 800 IU of the nutrient daily.

Study authors concluded that as the older population continues to grow, universal guidelines for testing and treating vitamin D deficiency are needed.

The findings are detailed in the Journal of Aging and Gerontology.

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