Co-occurrence of Anemia, Marginal Vitamin B6, and Folate Status and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults

• Published in: Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology 2012-09, Vol.25 (3), p.170-178
• Main Authors: Pan, Wen-Harn, Chang, Yi-Ping, Yeh, Wen-Ting, Guei, Yu-Shu, Lin, Bi-Fong, Wei, Ien-Lan, Yang, Feili Lo, Liaw, Yung-Po, Chen, Kuan-Ju, Chen, Wei J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anemia; Anemia - blood; Anemia - epidemiology; Anemia - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive ability; Data processing; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Depression; Depressive Disorder - blood; Depressive Disorder - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Emotions; Erythrocytes; Female; Ferritin; Folic acid; Folic Acid - blood; Folic Acid Deficiency - blood; Folic Acid Deficiency - epidemiology; Folic Acid Deficiency - psychology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Geriatric Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Geriatrics; glutathione reductase; Health Status; Health Surveys - methods; Health Surveys - statistics & numerical data; Hemoglobin; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mood; Multivariate analysis; Neurology; Nutrient deficiency; Nutrients; Nutrition; Nutritional Status; Odds Ratio; Physical activity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; S-Adenosylmethionine; Taiwan - epidemiology; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Vitamin B 6 - blood; Vitamin B 6 Deficiency - blood; Vitamin B 6 Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin B 6 Deficiency - psychology; Vitamin B6
• ISSN: 0891-9887; 1552-5708
• DOI: 10.1177/0891988712458365

Although nutrient deficiencies are thought to play roles in the development of depression, observational studies have yielded inconsistent results. This study aimed to investigate whether multiple marginal nutrient deficiencies are associated with symptoms of depression in community-dwelling older Taiwanese. Data from 1371 elderly adults recruited from the Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan was used in this study. Depressive symptom scores on depressed mood and emotions affecting daily life were derived from the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36). Hemoglobin, serum ferritin, plasma vitamins B6, B12, and folate concentration, and erythrocyte transketolase and glutathione reductase activation coefficients were measured. After adjusting for age, gender, cognitive function, physical activity, disease history, and medication in the multivariate analysis, anemia, and marginal B6 deficiency were significantly associated with the presence of depression symptoms, respectively. In addition, co-occurrence of vitamin B6 with low folate level and co-occurrence of anemia either with low vitamin B6 or with folate level were all associated with the depressive mood and with depressive emotions defined by SF-36 (odds ratios [OR] in the range of 2.32−7.13, all P values ≤.05). The magnitude of the ORs is larger when the number of deficiencies increased. Elderly people with coexisting marginal deficiencies of nutrients involved in the S-adenosylmethionine and hemoglobin production were more likely to experience depressed mood and emotion that affect daily activity. Examining status of these nutrients is worthy of consideration for older adults with depressed symptoms.