Data Analysis of a 2005 Health Survey Found Vitamin D Deficiency Related to Depressive Symptoms.
After analyzing data on 2070 adults 65 years and older who participated in the 2005 Health Survey for England, Robert Stewart, MD, of King's College London, and Vasant Hirani, MSc, of University College London, United Kingdom found clinical vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) level less than 10 ng/mL) to be significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly, independent of age, sex, social class, physical health status, and season. Depressive symptoms were scored using the Geriatric Depression Scale. A more moderate association of depression with 25(OH)Vit. D deficiency was found at 25(OH)Vit. D levels less than 30 ng/ml.
Commentary:
Depression is very common -- not only in the elderly but in people of all ages. It is commonly worse in the winter months and exacerbated by the holiday season. Vitamin D's antidepressant actions are now becoming well known and the lack of Vitamin D is considered the cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). If vitamin D supplementation can be an effective way of keeping mom and dad and grandma and grandpa happy during the holiday season (including ourselves), just think of how much more fun those holiday gatherings will be.
Dr. Donovan is a Naturopathic Physician, author, educator, and a professor of clinical medicine at Bastyr University's Natural Health Clinic. In 2010 he was voted by his professional peers as one of Seattle’s Top Doctors in the Seattle Metropolitan Magazine. Dr. Donovan writes and lectures on the transformational process of healing and believes a person’s healing journey is ultimately a quest for his/her identity, purpose and meaning. He has more than 35 years of patient care experience as a Registered Nurse (RN) and a Naturopathic Physician (ND), representing a wide range of clinical settings from hospital-based surgical and intensive care as a registered nurse to outpatient primary care as a physician.
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