Vitamin D Deficiency May Up Risk of Depression for Older Adults

A study published in the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine suggests a connection between vitamin D deficiency and the elevated risk of depression in older adults, reports Psych Central . A group of older Irish adults were studied for this association and reassessed four years later. The researchers determined vitamin D deficiency to be associated with a 75 percent increase in the risk of developing depression within four years, which remained strong after accounting for factors including depressive symptoms, chronic disease burden, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease. In addition, the exclusion of participants taking antidepressant medication and vitamin D supplementation did not affect the outcomes. The investigators suspect the results could stem from vitamin D's potential direct protection of the brain from structural and functional changes observed in late-life depression. "What is surprising is the large effect on depression even after accounting for other control variables," noted Trinity College Dublin's Eamon Laird. "This is highly relevant for Ireland as our previous research has shown that one in eight older adults are deficient in the summer and one in four during the winter. Moreover, only around 8 percent of older Irish adults report taking a vitamin D supplement."