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Homocysteine and Depression study

Posted by jrbecker on June 11, 2003, at 10:53:40

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/457005

High Homocysteine, MTHFR Polymorphism Linked to Depression

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jun 09 - Norwegian researchers have observed an association between depression and hyperhomocysteinemia and the 677C/T polymorphism in the hylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, in a large population-based study.

Folate, vitamin B-12 and homocysteine are involved in processes important for neurotransmitter synthesis and central nervous system function, explain Dr. Ingvar Bjelland and colleagues at the University of Bergen in the Archives of General Psychiatry for June. However, results of case-control studies of these associations have been inconsistent, possibly because of small sample sizes.

The authors evaluated data from the Hordaland Health Study 1997 to 1999, in which results of self-administered questionnaires of anxiety and depression according to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were reported. Included were 5948 individuals ages 46 to 49 and 70 to 74 years.

Plasma level of total homocysteine (tHcy) was associated with depression in the absence of comorbid anxiety disorder, even after adjusting for age, gender, smoking status and educational level (p = 0.04). The odds ratio for depression was 1.90 for those with levels > 15.0 mol/L compared with levels < 9.0 mol/L.

For the T/T MTHFR genotype, the odds ratio for depression was 1.69 compared with the CC genotype (p = 0.01). In general, folate and vitamin B-12 were not associated with anxiety disorder or depression. However, risk of depression was tripled in middle-aged women with serum folate < 5 nmol.

Causality between modifiable factors and depression cannot yet be determined, Dr. Bjelland's group notes, since depression may influence dietary habits. Furthermore, greater association may be observed in subjects with lower folate status or those with more severe depression.

Arch Gen Psychiatry 2003;60:618-626.


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