To the Editor:
I read the report of Hoang et al1 on low 25-hydroxyvitamin D and depression with great interest. Of note, recently published guidelines on evaluation of vitamin D deficiency do not call for screening of persons with prior or current depression.2 A plausible clinical application of the findings of this study—if confirmed, especially in multiracial cohorts—would be to obtain 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with a history of depression and treat when indicated, in hope of preventing new episodes of depression.
References
- 1.Hoang M.T., Defina L.F., Willis B.L., Leonard D.S., Weiner M.F., Brown E.S. Association between low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and depression in a large sample of healthy adults: the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. Mayo Clin Proc. 2011;86(11):1050–1055. doi: 10.4065/mcp.2011.0208. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Holick M.F., Binkley N.C., Bischoff-Ferrari H.A. Evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(7):1911–1930. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-0385. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]