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Vitamin D does not reduce the incidence nor the recurrence of depression in adults
Question clinique
Can vitamin D supplementation reduce the incidence or recurrence of depression or depressive symptoms in adults 50 years or older?
L’Essentiel
This study found no benefit of vitamin D supplementation compared with placebo in reducing the incidence or recurrence of depression or depressive symptoms in adults, 50 years or older, who had no clinically significant depressive symptoms at baseline. Similarly, there was no benefit found regardless of baseline vitamin D level, race, or comorbid medical conditions. 1b
Référence
Plan de l'etude: Randomized controlled trial (double-blinded)
Financement: Industry + govt
Cadre: Outpatient (any)
Sommaire
Observational data show associations between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of depression and depressive symptoms in older adults. These investigators identified men, 50 years or older, and women, 55 years or older, who had no clinically relevant depressive symptoms and were not currently taking treatments for depression (n = 18,353). As part of a large study evaluating the benefits of both vitamin D and fish oil, eligible patients randomly received (concealed allocation assignment) vitamin D3 (2000 IU/d) and fish oil (Omacor) or matching placebo in a 2 x 2 factorial design. Individuals who assessed outcomes remained masked to treatment group assignment. Complete follow-up occurred for 90.5% of participants for a median of 5.3 years. The mean age of participants was 67.5 years and 27% were minorities, including 19% who were Black. Using intention-to-treat analysis, no significant group differences occurred in the risk of incident or recurrent depression or clinically relevant depressive symptoms, including in subgroups based on baseline vitamin D levels, race/ethnicity, sex, age, body mass index, or comorbid conditions. The study was powered 85% or greater to determine predetermined clinically relevant group differences.
Reviewer
David C. Slawson, MD
Professor and Vice Chair of Family Medicine for Education and Scholarship
Atrium Health
Professor of Family Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill
Charlotte, NC
Commentaires
Vit d on depression
Surprised by the finding.
Usefulness of this study
This study doesn’t report on Vit d levels in the participants. Supplementing non depressed people who may or may not be deficient in Vit D will yield the outcome observed.
Over the past 15 years, I have been screening my depressed patients for Vit D deficiency. When found I have treated it and seen improvements in their mood without use of anti depressants. Again, these are people who have Vit d deficiency often having levels in on the 30-50 ng/dl ranges. There mood was improved once we got them to levels above 80-90.
I would love to see the study repeated I’m depressed people using 25OH Vit d levels and treating with supplementation to a different subset of 25 oh bird levels say 80-100, 100-120, 120-140.
That would , in my opinion, be a more useful study
low vitamin D
Do those with low vitamin D also have other characteristics that go with depression? i.e. alcohol use?
Vitamin D is a marker not a therapeutic
Once we start seeing low vitamin D levels as a marker for poor health and frailty rather than as some sort of miracle therapeutic, people will stop wasting time on these studies which are almost invariably negative
No
No comment
Time to stop superstition and fraud
This is just one of many papers that disprove the value of non-guided vitamin supplementation. Some person makes up an idea in his garage like: "hmmm... maybe a lot of vitamin D will treat depression" or "turmeric is good for the joints". That person markets their idea on social media and makes a lot of money. Scientists then have to spend a lot of time and recourse disproving these silly ideas. It is time we embrace our body of evidence and stop entertaining nutritionist views that continue to promote unnecessary use of vitamins, food supplementation and homeopathic remedies that "decrease inflammation". Pharmacies should also stop making a profit of homeopathic non-evidence based treatments if they want to align themselves with real scientists. These 'treatments' are fraudulent and the mere fact that they are sold in pharmacies give them some merit to a trusting society.