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Low Vitamin D boosts depression risk in seniors Older people with low blood levels of vitamin D and high blood levels of parathyroid hormone are more likely to be depressed, Dutch researchers report. But it remains unclear whether these abnormalities are a cause or a consequence of depression, say Dr. Witte J. G. Hoogendijk and colleagues from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Past studies have linked altered levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone with depression, but the relationship "has never been studied systematically," say Hoogendijk and colleagues. To investigate, they looked at 1,282 men and women aged 65 to 95 years participating in a long-term study of aging. Nearly 40 percent of the men and 57 percent of women had low levels of vitamin D in their blood. Among the 169 people found by self-report and diagnostic interviews to be suffering from minor depression, as well as the 26 with major depressive disorder, vitamin D levels were 14 percent lower than for people who were free from depression, the researchers found. And blood levels of parathyroid hormone, which increase with vitamin D deficiency, were 5 percent higher in people with minor depression and 33 percent higher in those with major depression, relative to levels seen in seniors without depression. There are a number of plausible ways that low vitamin D levels could influence mood, the researchers note, given that the vitamin plays a role in several neurological and hormonal processes. If vitamin D deficiency is a cause rather than a result of depression, they add, this suggests supplementation with the vitamin and increased exposure to sunlight could help treat depression. Long-term studies with repeated assessments are needed to answer the question of whether low vitamin D is a cause or an effect of depression, and likewise with increased parathyroid hormone levels, which are a consequence of low Vitamin D status, the researchers conclude. SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry, May 2008 Dr. Cinque's comments: We all know intuitively that sunshine lifts our mood, but some people are more sensitive to it than others. I am particularly sensitive to it, and that's why I live in Central Texas. I couldn't live in Seattle or Boston and be happy- there's just no way. Partly it relates to my lifestyle because I enjoy being active outdoors, hiking, biking, and swimming. And, I also like to seek out fresh local foods, and Texas is pretty good that way all yearround, including the wintertime when there are winter vegetables and citrus fruits available. But even aside from all that, there is some indefinable effect from sunshine that makes me feel good. And if I ever leave Texas, it will be for a more sun-drenched place. And speaking of that, here is a list of major cities in the USA ranked by their number of sunny days per year. As expected, the Southwest and California finished high on the list, but surprisingly, Florida and Hawaii did not. Keep in mind that this refers to totally clear sunny days and does not include partly sunny days. The list was compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Climatic Data Center. YUMA,AZ 242 PHOENIX,AZ 211 LAS VEGAS,NV 210 BISHOP,CA 201 FRESNO,CA 194 EL PASO,TX 193 TUCSON,AZ 193 BAKERSFIELD,CA 191 SACRAMENTO,CA 188 LOS ANGELES,CA 186 STOCKTON,CA 184 WINSLOW,AZ 177 SANTA MARIA,CA 176 BLUE CANYON,CA 174 REDDING,CA 172 ROSWELL,NM 168 ALBUQUERQUE,NM 167 MIDLAND-ODESSA,TX 165 MOUNT SHASTA, CA 164 CLAYTON,NM 162 FLAGSTAFF,AZ 162 LUBBOCK,TX 160 SAN FRANCISCO AP,CA 160 LONG BEACH,CA 159 RENO,NV 158 AMARILLO,TX 157 SAN ANGELO,TX 154 MILFORD,UT 151 WICHITA FALLS,TX 151 ABILENE,TX 149 ALAMOSA,CO 148 SAN DIEGO,CA 146 GOODLAND,KS 143 OKLAHOMA CITY,OK 139 PUEBLO,CO 139 WINNEMUCCA,NV 138 DODGE CITY,KS 137 GRAND JUNCTION,CO 136 DALLAS-FORT WORTH,TX 135 CONCORDIA,KS 131 ELY,NV 130 KAHULUI,HI 131 ELKO,NV 130 WACO,TX 130 APALACHICOLA,FL 128 WICHITA,KS 128 COLORADO SPRINGS,CO 127 TULSA,OK 127 SEXTON SUMMIT,OR 126 SALT LAKE CITY,UT 125 FORT SMITH,AR 123 GRAND ISLAND,NE 123 VALENTINE,NE 123 DEL RIO,TX 121 GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 121 WAKE ISLAND,PC 121 BOISE,ID 120 BURNS,OR 120 KANSAS CITY,MO 120 LITTLE ROCK,AR 119 TUPELO,MS 119 MEMPHIS,TN 118 LINCOLN,NE 117 MEDFORD,OR 117 NORFOLK,NE 117 AUSTIN,TX 115 COLUMBIA,SC 115 DENVER,CO 115 NORTH PLATTE,NE 115 SCOTTSBLUFF,NE 115 SPRINGFIELD,MO 115 LANDER,WY 114 SHREVEPORT,LA 114 TOPEKA,KS 114 ATHENS,GA 113 CAIRO,IL 113 AUGUSTA,GA 112 LYNCHBURG,VA 112 MACON,GA 112 JACKSON,MS 111 OMAHA NE 111 RALEIGH,NC 111 RAPID CITY,SD 111 WILMINGTON,NC 111 ATLANTA,GA 110 COLUMBUS,GA 110 OMAHA (NORTH),NE 110 CAPE HATTERAS,NC 109 CHARLOTTE,NC 109 GREENSBORO-WNSTN-SALM, NC 109 OAK RIDGE,TN 109 YAKIMA,WA 109 MERIDIAN,MS 108 CASPER,WY 107 E-mail to a friend Previous Article Next Article |
