The effect of cigarette smoking on vitamin D level and depression in male patients with acute ischemic stroke

• Published in: Comprehensive psychiatry 2016-02, Vol.65, p.9-14
• Main Authors: Ren, Wenwei, Gu, Yingying, Zhu, Lin, Wang, Liping, Chang, Yaling, Yan, Mengjiao, Han, Bin, He, Jincai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Brain Ischemia - complications; Depression - complications; Depressive Disorder - complications; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Psychiatry; Smoking - adverse effects; Stroke - complications; Stroke - etiology; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood
• ISSN: 0010-440X; 1532-8384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2015.09.006

Abstract Objective The association between low vitamin D levels and depression has been well documented in nonstroke subjects. Accumulating evidence shows that low vitamin D levels may be also associated with depression post stroke. Cigarette smoking was associated with lower vitamin D levels. The purposes of this study were to compare vitamin D levels in smokers to nonsmokers and examine the association between vitamin D levels and depression symptoms in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Materials and methods Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] were measured in 194 males within 24 h after admission: 116 smokers and 78 nonsmokers. Depression symptoms were assessed with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17). Patients with the HAMD-17 score >7 were identified to have depression symptoms. Results The chi-square test showed that the frequency of depression in the smoker group was 23.3% (27/116), which was significantly higher than that in the nonsmoker group (11.5% = 9/78), with an odds ratios (OR) of 2.33 (95% CI: 1.03–5.27; χ2 = 4.25, df = 1, p = 0.039, φ = 0.15). Vitamin D levels were significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers (52.4 ± 20.8 vs 61.7 ± 19.2; F = 9.88, p = 0.002), with an effect size of 0.05 ( ηp2 ). Patients with depression symptoms showed lower vitamin D levels than those with no depression symptoms (49.2 ± 19.6 vs 57.7 ± 20.6; F = 5.03, p = 0.03), with an effect size of 0.03 ( ηp2 ). Conclusion Higher rates of depression in smokers with acute ischemic stroke may be associated with lower vitamin D levels induced by smoking.