Depression may be linked to low levels of vitamin D
There are several tools that doctors can use to determine whether a patient has major depressive disorder and would benefit from a prescription to buy Canadian Paxil.
There are several tools that doctors can use to determine whether a patient has major depressive disorder and would benefit from a prescription to buy Canadian Paxil. While these may include psychological and behavioral evaluations, new research from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center suggests that clinicians may want to add one more test - a screen for vitamin D levels.
Deficient levels of vitamin D are already associated with several health conditions, according to the researchers, including osteoporosis, obesity, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and general cognitive decline.
In order to discern a possible link to depression, the researchers reviewed data collected from nearly 12,600 individuals. Results showed that higher amounts of vitamin D were associated with a reduced risk for depressive symptoms, particularly among subjects with a previous history of the mental illness. The data also demonstrated the opposite effect, as published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
"Our findings suggest that screening for vitamin D levels in depressed patients – and perhaps screening for depression in people with low vitamin D levels – might be useful," said researcher E. Sherwood Brown. "But we don't have enough information yet to recommend going out and taking supplements."
Within any given 12-month period, about 6.7 percent of American adults will have symptoms of depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
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