Vitamin D Decreases Beck Depression Inventory Score in Patients with Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of depression in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is significantly more than in controls. Some studies assessed the link between vitamin D and depression. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of vitamin D on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. In this double-blind randomized controlled trial, 90 mild to moderate UC patients were assigned to receive a single injection of 300,000 IU vitamin D3 or 1 ml normal saline as placebo. At baseline and 3 months later, measurements of BDI score and serum 25-OH-vitamin D3 were done. Data were compared by independent sample t test, Mann–Whitney U test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Baseline BDI scores were not statistically different between the two groups (p = .4); scores decreased in the vitamin D group after the intervention (p = .023). Further subgroup analysis regarding baseline serum vitamin D levels and adjusted for baseline BDIs revealed lowering effect of vitamin D on BDI scores only in subgroup with baseline serum vitamin D levels equal to or higher than 30 ng/ml (p < .001). In this study, there was a statistically significant reduction in BDI score in mild to moderate UC patients 3 months after 300,000 IU vitamin D3 injection. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with sufficient baseline vitamin D may benefit from supplementation more than vitamin D–deficient patients, which indicates that higher serum vitamin D levels may be needed for its antidepressant effect.

KEYWORDS:

• depression
• vitamin D
• IBD
• ulcerative colitis
• BDI

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences & Health Services grant (No.27089).

Notes on contributors

Amrollah Sharifi

Amrollah Sharifi, Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (GRCGH), Golestan University of Medical Sciences (GOUMS), Gorgan, Iran. Research Interests: Nutrition, Gastrointestinal diseases.

Homayoon Vahedi

Homayoon Vahedi, Digestive Disease Research Center, Digestive Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran: Research Interests: Gastrointestinal diseases.

Saharnaz Nedjat

Saharnaz Nedjat, Epidemiology and Biostatistics department, School of Public Health, Knowledge Utilization Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran: Research Interests: Epidemiology.

Ashraf Mohamadkhani

Ashraf Mohamadkhani, Digestive Diseases Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran: Research Interests: Genetic bases of diseases.

Mohammad Javad Hosseinzadeh Attar

Mohammad Javad Hosseinzadeh-Attar, Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran: Research Interests: Nutrition.