This Vitamin Is Linked To 75% Lower Depression Risk - Dec 2018

This Vitamin Is Linked To 75% Lower Depression Risk

https://www.spring.org.uk/2018/12/vitamin-lower-depression-risk.php Psyblog

• "Healthy levels of Vitamin D are linked to a 75% lower risk of depression, new research finds."
• "The Irish study followed almost 4,000 older adults for four years."
• "The results showed that those with a vitamin D deficiency had a 75% higher risk of depression."

 
 

Data for Psyblog report was taken from

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With an Increased Likelihood of Incident Depression in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2018.10.006
Robert Briggs, MB, BCh, BAO MB, BCh, BAO Robert Briggs MB, BCh, BAO Robert Briggs, Kevin McCarroll, MD, Aisling O'Halloran, PhD, Martin Healy, PhD, Rose Anne Kenny, MD, Eamon Laird, PhD
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Objective :To examine the prospective relationship between vitamin D status and incident depression in a large cohort of nondepressed community-dwelling older people.

Design: Longitudinal study examining the relationship between vitamin D levels at baseline (wave 1) and incident depression at 2 and 4 years (waves 2 and 3), embedded within the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging. Participants with depression at wave 1 were excluded. Logistic regression models reporting odds ratios were used to analyze the longitudinal association of vitamin D categories with incident depression. Analysis was weighted for attrition.

Setting and Participants: Almost 4000 community-dwelling people aged ≥50 years.

Measures: A score ≥9 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-8 at wave 2 or 3 was indicative of incident depression. Vitamin D analysis was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency were defined as <30, 30–50, and >50 nmol/L, respectively.

Results: The incident depression group (400/3965) had a higher likelihood of baseline vitamin D deficiency (proportional estimation 19.4) [95% confidence interval (CI) 15.1–24.7] vs [12.4 (95% CI 11.1–14.0); Z = 3.93; P < .001]. Logistic regression models demonstrated that participants with vitamin D deficiency had a significantly higher likelihood of incident depression (odds ratio 1.75, 95% CI 1.24–2.46; t = 3.21; P = .001). This finding remained robust after controlling for relevant covariates including physical activity, chronic disease burden, cardiovascular disease and antidepressant use.

Conclusions/Implications: This study demonstrates that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of developing depression in later life. These findings are important, given the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among older people, the fact that supplementation has a low risk of toxicity or side effects, as well as the significant adverse effect depression can have on functional status and longevity in later life.