Low blood levels of vitamin D may be associated with depression in older adults

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Public release date: 5-May-2008

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/jaaj-lbl050108.php

Contact: Witte J. G. Hoogendijk, M.D., Ph.D.,

witteh@...

JAMA and Archives Journals

Low blood levels of vitamin D may be associated with depression in older

adults

Older adults with low blood levels of vitamin D and high blood levels of

a hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands may have a higher risk of

depression, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of

General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

About 13 percent of older individuals have symptoms of depression, and

other researchers have speculated that vitamin D may be linked to

depression and other psychiatric illnesses, according to background

information in the article. “Underlying causes of vitamin D deficiency

such as less sun exposure as a result of decreased outdoor activity,

different housing or clothing habits and decreased vitamin intake may be

secondary to depression, but depression may also be the consequence of

poor vitamin D status,” the authors write. “Moreover, poor vitamin D

status causes an increase in serum parathyroid hormone levels.”

Overactive parathyroid glands are frequently accompanied by symptoms of

depression that disappear after treatment of the condition.

Witte J. G. Hoogendijk, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at VU University

Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands, measured

blood levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone and assessed symptoms

of depression among 1,282 community residents age 65 to 95. Of those

individuals, 26 had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, 169 had

minor depression and 1,087 were not depressed. The average blood vitamin

D level was 21 nanograms per milliliter and the average parathyroid

hormone level was 3.6 picograms per milliliter.

Blood vitamin D levels were 14 percent lower in individuals with major

and minor depression (average, 19 nanograms per milliliter) compared

with non-depressed participants (average, 22 nanograms per milliliter).

In addition, parathyroid hormone thyroid levels were an average of 5

percent higher in those with minor depression (average, 3.72 picograms

per milliliter) and 33 percent higher in those with major depressive

disorder (average, 4.69 picograms per milliliter) than in those who were

not depressed (average, 3.53 picograms per milliliter).

The findings may be important to patients because both low blood vitamin

D levels and high parathyroid hormone levels can be treated with higher

dietary intake of vitamin D or calcium and increased sunlight exposure.

“Moreover, the clinical relevance of the present study is underscored by

our finding that 38.8 percent of men and 56.9 percent of women in our

community-based cohort had an insufficient vitamin D status,” they

conclude. Additional studies are needed to determine whether changes in

levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone precede depression or follow it.

###

(Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65[5]:508-512. Available pre-embargo to the

media at www.jamamedia.org.)

Editor’s Note: This study was supported by a clinical fellow grant from

the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. Please see the

article for additional information, including other authors, author

contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and

support, etc.

For more information, contact JAMA/Archives Media Relations at

312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations@....

--

ne Holden, MS, RD

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