Low Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D as a Risk Factor for Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Men - A Korean Nationwide Study

Q: What was the study purpose regarding vitamin D and frailty?

To assess whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels are associated with frailty status in older Korean adults.

Q: How was frailty measured in this study?

Frailty was evaluated using a deficit accumulation frailty index (FI) based on 38 items across physical, cognitive, psychological, and social domains.

Q: What did the study find in men about low serum 25(OH)D?

Frail men had lower serum 25(OH)D, and men with the lowest 25(OH)D quartile or vitamin D deficiency showed higher FI and increased odds of frailty compared with higher groups.

Q: Did the association between 25(OH)D and frailty differ by sex?

Yes. No significant association between serum 25(OH)D concentration and frailty was observed in women, whereas significant relationships were found in men.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Rowan

Despite the biological importance of vitamin D, its relationship with frailty remains uncertain. This cross-sectional Korean nationwide study analyzed 6,589 participants aged 65 years or older from 2008–2012 data, using a deficit accumulation frailty index (FI) covering 38 physical, cognitive, psychological, and social items. Adjusted results indicated lower serum 25(OH)D in frail men and higher FI and frailty odds in the lowest vitamin D groups, while women showed no significant associations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Original Article Endocrinol Metab 2025;40:961-973 [https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2025.2462](https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2025.2462)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2025.2462)[pISSN 2093-596X](pISSN 2093-596X) · eISSN 2093-5978 Low Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D as a Risk Factor for Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Men: A Korean Nationwide Study Jeongmin Lee1, *, Min-gu Kang2,3, *, Jeonghoon Ha4, Yunju Jo5, Dongryeol Ryu5, Hee-Won Jung6, Ki-Hyun Baek7, Beom-Jun Kim8 1Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Bitgoeul Hospital; 3Department of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju; 4Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul; 5Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju; 6Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine; 7Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea; 8Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Background: Despite the critical role of vitamin D in various biological processes, its impact on frailty—a condition closely linked to biological age—remains inconclusive. This study aimed to explore the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH] D) levels and frailty status in older Korean adults, utilizing a comprehensive frailty index (FI) and a nationally representative dataset. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 6,589 participants aged ≥65 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008–2012). Frailty was assessed using a deficit accumulation FI based on 38 physical, cognitive, psychological, and social items. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, frail men showed 6.8% lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations compared to nonfrail controls (P = 0.007) . Men in the lowest serum 25(OH)D quartile (≤39.3 nmol/L) exhibited a 5.3% higher FI (P = 0.047) and 1.71-fold increased odds of frailty (P = 0.005), compared to those in the highest quartile ( >63.3 nmol/L) . Similarly, men with vitamin D deficiency (<30 nmol/L) exhibited a 9.6% higher FI compared to those with sufficient vitamin D levels (≥50 nmol/L; P = 0.004) . However, no significant association between serum 25(OH)D concentration and frailty was observed in women across any analysis. Conclusion: These findings suggest that low serum 25(OH)D concentrations are a potential risk factor for frailty, particularly in men. Further research is warranted to determine whether vitamin D supplementation in such high-risk older adults could help mitigate frailty. | Keywords: Frailty; 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; Aging; Biomarkers | | | --- | --- | | Received: 19 May 2025, Revised: 17 July 2025, Accepted: 3 September 2025
Corresponding author: Beom-Jun Kim
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine,
Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro
43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05505, Korea
Tel: +82-2-3010-5876, Fax: +82-2-3010-6962, [E-mail:](E-mail: umkbj0825@amc.seoul.kr)[ umkbj0825@amc.seoul.kr](E-mail: umkbj0825@amc.seoul.kr)
*These authors contributed equally to this work. | Copyright © 2025 Korean Endocrine Society
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of
the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)) which permits unrestricted
non-com

FAQs

What was the study purpose regarding vitamin D and frailty?

To assess whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels are associated with frailty status in older Korean adults.

How was frailty measured in this study?

Frailty was evaluated using a deficit accumulation frailty index (FI) based on 38 items across physical, cognitive, psychological, and social domains.

What did the study find in men about low serum 25(OH)D?

Frail men had lower serum 25(OH)D, and men with the lowest 25(OH)D quartile or vitamin D deficiency showed higher FI and increased odds of frailty compared with higher groups.

Did the association between 25(OH)D and frailty differ by sex?

Yes. No significant association between serum 25(OH)D concentration and frailty was observed in women, whereas significant relationships were found in men.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Rowan