Serum Calcium and Cognitive Function in Old Age

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether serum calcium is associated with cognitive function in elderly individuals in the general population. DESIGN: Prospective follow‐up study of two independent, population‐based cohorts. SETTING: The Rotterdam Study (median follow‐up 11 years) and the Leiden 85‐plus Study (median follow‐up 5 years). PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand nine hundred ninety‐four individuals, mean age 71, from the Rotterdam Study and 560 individuals, all aged 85, from the Leiden 85‐plus Study. MEASUREMENTS: Global cognitive function was assessed in both cohorts using the Mini‐Mental State Examination; attention, psychomotor speed, and memory function were assessed in the Leiden 85‐plus Study only. Linear regression and linear mixed models were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: In the Rotterdam Study, high serum calcium was associated with worse global cognitive function at baseline (P