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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #204000
Title: Vitamin B6 is Associated with Depressive Symptomatology in Massachusetts Elders

Author
item MERETE, CRISTINA - HNRCA AT TUFTS
item FALCON, LUIS - NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
item Tucker, Katherine

Submitted to: Journal of the American College of Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/24/2007
Publication Date: 6/1/2008
Citation: Merete, C., Falcon, L.M., Tucker, K. 2008. Vitamin B6 is Associated with Depressive Symptomatology in Massachusetts Elders. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 27(3):421-427.

Interpretive Summary: B vitamins play a central role in the regulation of psychological states. Decreased blood plasma levels of vitamin B6 have been inversely associated with depression, however, little is known about the relationship between dietary intake of vitamin B6 and depression. Caribbean Hispanics have lifestyles, including dietary intake patterns, that differ from other groups and may contribute to their higher than average prevalence of depression. We examined the cross-sectional relationship between dietary vitamin B6 and plasma B6 with depressive symptomatology among a representative sample of 618 elderly Caribbean Hispanics and a neighborhood based comparison group of 251 non-Hispanic white (NHW) older adults in Massachusetts. Based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), 41% of Hispanics and 22.6% of NHWs had depression. Plasma B6 was significantly associated with depression among the total sample and non-supplement users. Total intake (diet+supplement) of vitamin B6 was not associated with these outcomes. However, dietary vitamin B6 was significantly associated with CES-D score and depression. Both depression and low vitamin B6 status are prevalent in this population of Caribbean origin Hispanic elders, and although less so, also in a low-income comparison group of NHWs. Improved intake of vitamin B6 may be useful in reducing depression. However, longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between intake of vitamin B6 and depression and to better understand the role of dietary intake versus supplements in this association.

Technical Abstract: We examined the cross-sectional relationship between dietary vitamin B6 and plasma pyridoxyl-5’-phosphate concentrations (PLP) with depressive symptomatology among a representative sample of 618 elderly Caribbean Hispanics and a neighborhood based comparison group of 251 non-Hispanic white (NHW) older adults in Massachusetts. Depressive symptomatology was assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). 41% of Hispanics and 22.6% of NHWs had CES-D scores greater than 16, indicating depressive caseness. PLP was significantly associated with CES-D score and depressive caseness among the total sample and non-supplement users. Total intake (diet+supplement) of vitamin B6 was not associated with these outcomes. However, dietary vitamin B6 was significantly associated with CES-D score and depressive caseness. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the direction of causality between vitamin B6 and depressive symptoms.