Vitamin D status in patients with MS is negatively correlated with depression, but not with fatigue

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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.