Summary
Depressive symptoms and fatigue are frequent and disabling symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Depression and fatigue have been associated with a poor vitamin D status, and a poor vitamin D status is often found in MS. Knippenberg S, Bol Y, Damoiseaux J, Hupperts R, Smolders J. Acta Neurol Scand. 2010 Sep 29. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2010.01447.x. [Epub ahead of print]
Details
Authors aim was to assess whether vitamin D status contributes to
depressive symptoms and fatigue in MS. Patients with MS that
participated in previous studies in which depression and fatigue
were assessed and of whom serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)
levels were available within a timeframe of less than one
half-life of 25(OH)D were included. Depression and fatigue were
assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the
Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory.
Fifty-nine patients were included. Mean scores of fatigue
and depression were 14.6 (SD 4.2) and 6.2 (SD 4.4), respectively.
The mean vitamin D status was 62.3 nm (SD 27.8). Vitamin D status
correlated negatively with depression (r=-0.326, P=0.006). No
significant correlation was found between vitamin D status and
fatigue. In a multiple regression model, vitamin D status was not
a significant contributor to depression, after controlling for
age Expanded Disability Status Scale score and fatigue (P=0.078).
Alternatively, depression and fatigue did not contribute to
vitamin D status. Discussion.
This study shows a negative correlation between vitamin D status
and depressive symptoms in patients with MS. Although multiple
confounders exist, it was observed that that vitamin
D status might contribute to the presence of depressive symptoms
in MS. Therefore, further studies on vitamin D in MS should
include depressive symptoms as outcome measures to confirm these
findings.