Vitamin D is independently associated with depression in overweight women with and without PCOS

Abstract

Background: Depression, anxiety, and inflammation are common in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Inflammation may adversely impact on mood and vitamin D has been associated with both mood disorders and inflammation in the general population, but these relationships have not been studied in PCOS. The aim of this study was to investigate the association among 25 hydroxy-Vitamin D (25OHVD) status, anxiety, depression, and inflammation in women with and without PCOS.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in overweight or obese premenopausal women with (n = 50) and without (n = 23) PCOS. Primary outcome measures were 25OHVD, mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression questionnaire), and inflammation (highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP)).

Results: Vitamin D deficiency (25OHVD<50 nmol/L) (46% versus 39%, p = 0.311) and 25OHVD (50.4 ± 22.2 nmol/L versus 51.6 ± 19.0 nmol/L, p = 0.828) were not significantly different in women with and without PCOS. For all women combined, 25OHVD was the only significant independent predictor of depression (β = −0.063 ± 0.021, p = 0.005) and hsCRP (β = −0.041 ± 0.015, p = 0.010).

Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is common in both women with and without PCOS with no differences between the groups. Vitamin D is independently associated with depression and inflammation in overweight women both with and without PCOS. Further investigation to clarify the interrelationship among vitamin D, inflammation and depression is required to identify optimal prevention and treatment strategies for psychological and metabolic dysfunction in PCOS.

• Depression
• inflammation
• PCOS
• vitamin D

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Katherine McMahon and Amanda Hulley for assistance with study recruitment and clinical measurements. Pathology was completed at Southern Health pathology laboratories.

Declaration of interest

The authors report that there are no declaration of interest. This study was supported as an investigator-initiated trial funded by a competitive grant from Diabetes Australia Research Trust (Australia) and through a Jean Hailes Foundation Grant (Australia). L. M. is supported by a SACVRDP Fellowship; a program collaboratively funded by the NHF, the South Australian Department of Health and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. H. T. holds an NHMRC Practitioner fellowship.