Effect of long-term supplementation with folic acid and B vitamins on risk of depression in older women.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Homocysteine-lowering nutrients may have preventive/ameliorative roles in depression.

Aims

To test whether long-term B-vitamin/folate supplementation reduces depression risk.

Method

Participants were 4331 women (mean age 63.6 years), without prior depression, from the Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study - a randomised controlled trial of cardiovascular disease prevention among 5442 women. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a combination of folic acid (2.5 mg/d), vitamin B6 (50 mg/d) and vitamin B12 (1 mg/d) or a matching placebo. Average treatment duration was 7 years. The outcome was incident depression, defined as self-reported physician/clinician-diagnosed depression or clinically significant depressive symptoms.

Result

SUBMITTER: Okereke OI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4381191 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature