Is Low Vitamin D Associated with Depression in Elders?

Deficiencies of several vitamins, notably folate and B12, have been associated with depressive symptoms in people aged 65 and older. In this 2005 British national epidemiological household sample, investigators assessed whether low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) were associated with depressed mood in 2070 community-dwelling elders (mean age, 74; 950 men).

The overall prevalence of case-level depressive symptoms was 25.2%. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, long-term illness, general health status, time of year (to account for sunlight variation), supplement intake, and smoking. Among the 9.8% of this population with clinically meaningful deficiency (25[OH]D levels <10 ng/mL), the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 35.0%, …