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Depression: How to combat depression in the elderly
A new study by researchers from the University of Sheffield has found that a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may improve depressive symptoms amongst the elderly.
Writing in the journal Clinical Nutrition, researchers Salah Gariballa and Sarah Forster, reported that regular supplementation of hospitalized, older people with multivitamins and minerals improved mental health, compared to placebo.
'This trial has demonstrated that nutritional supplementation of hospitalised older people does lead to a clinically important benefit,' wrote the researchers.
'Widespread implementation of this strategy taking into account patients preference, life-style and socioeconomic circumstances could have a substantial economic impact and improve mental health for older people,' they added.
Assessing the results
The new prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, recruited 225 hospitalised acutely ill older people (average age 75.6, average BMI 25.2 kg per sq. m) and randomly assigned them to receive either a normal hospital diet plus multivitamin and mineral (MVM) supplements (providing 100 per cent of the Reference Nutrient Intakes for a healthy old person for vitamins and minerals) or a normal hospital diet plus placebo for six weeks.
Depressive symptoms and cognitive function were assessed using the 15-item eriatric depression questionnaire (GDS) and abbreviated mental test questionnaire (AMT), respectively.
At the end of the study the researchers found that levels of folate and vitamin B12 in red blood cells and blood plasma increased significantly in the MVM group but decreased in the placebo group.
Significant differences were also reported for symptoms of depression scores between the groups, with beneficial effects observed for patients in the supplementation group regardless of the initial level of depression of the individual, ranging from no depression to severe depression. No differences were found in cognitive function scores.
Commenting on the findings the researchers said: 'Improvement of micronutrient status would be the most plausible explanation for the results presented here. Many epidemiological and case-control studies have shown associations between folate and vitamin B12 deficiency and depression.
'Both folate and vitamin B12 are important for the nervous system at all ages, but in older people where deficiencies are known to be common even in relatively healthy persons, low folate and vitamin B12 status affects mood, cognitive and social functions.'
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