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Mechanisms Differ Between Depression and Either Vitamin B12 Or Folate

The associations found between depressive disorders and either vitamin B₁₂ or folate may have different underlying mechanisms, Dutch researchers suggest.

"Vitamin B₁₂ may be causally related to depression, whereas the relation with folate is due to physical comorbidity," say investigators from Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The associations between depression and vitamin B₁₂, folate and homocysteine were examined in a population-based study of 3,884 elderly people screened for depressive symptoms. Those who screened positive underwent psychiatric workups.

The researchers then compared blood levels of folate, vitamin B₁₂ and homocysteine in 278 people with depressive symptoms and 416 randomly selected reference participants. Depressive symptom participants included 112 people with depressive disorders.

Adjustments were made for age, gender, cardiovascular disease and functional disability.

Results indicate hyperhomocysteinemia, vitamin B₁₂ deficiency and, to a lesser extent, folate deficiency all were related to depressive disorders.

The investigators point out, however, that the associations for folate and hyperhomocysteinemia and depressive disorders were "substantially" reduced when they made adjustments for functional disability and cardiovascular disease.

The association for vitamin B₁₂ appeared to be independent, on the other hand.
American Journal of Psychiatry, 2002; 159: 2099-2101. "Vitamin b(12), folate, and homocysteine in depression: the rotterdam study."

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