Vitamin D – a potential modifiable factor in neurodegenerative diseases

General Medicine, 2025, 27(1), 36-42.

D. Gerova

Department of Clinical Laboratory, MU ‒ Varna

Abstract. Neurodegenerative diseases are severe debilitating diseases characterized by progressive loss of structure or function of neurons. They are currently considered incurable and age-related. Their incidence is expected to increase with serious health and socio-economic consequences. It is therefore essential to search for factors that could prevent their onset or delay their progression. Vitamin D, through its multiple pleiotropic “noncalcemic” functions, may prove to be an important modifiable factor in alleviating the severe symptomatology of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this review is to examine the pathogenetic relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the most common neurodegenerative diseases and to summarize the results of clinical trials investigating the effects of vitamin D supplementation.

Key words: neurodegenerative diseases, vitamin D, vitamin D supplementation

Address for correspondence: Daniela Gerova, e-mail: dgerova@gmail.com