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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1540633
This article is part of the Research Topic The Role of Nutrition in Mitigating Depression: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Outcomes View all articles

Association between vitamin D deficiency and major depression in patients with chronic kidney disease: a cohort study

Provisionally accepted
I-Wen Chen I-Wen Chen 1Wei-Ting Wang Wei-Ting Wang 2Yi-Chen Lai Yi-Chen Lai 1Ying-Jen Chang Ying-Jen Chang 1Yao-Tsung Lin Yao-Tsung Lin 1Kuo-Chuan Hung Kuo-Chuan Hung 1*
  • 1 Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 2 E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an elevated risk of both vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and depression. However, the relationship between VDD and the risk of depression in this population remains unclear. Methods: Using the TriNetX network database (2010-2019), we conducted a propensity score-matched cohort study of CKD patients aged ≥50 years. Patients were categorized into VDD ( ≤20 ng/mL) and control (≥30 ng/mL) groups based on measurements within three months of CKD diagnosis. The primary outcome was the incidence of major depression within one year of follow-up. Results: Among 17,955 matched pairs, VDD was associated with increased depression risk at one year (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.929; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-2.448; p<0.0001). This association persisted through three years of follow-up. The relationship remained consistent across CKD stages, with similar risks in early (HR:1.977; 95% CI: 1.382-2.829) and CKD stage 3-5 (HR:1.981; 95% CI: 1.533-2.559). Males with VDD showed higher depression risk (HR: 2.264; 95% CI: 1.498-3.421) compared to females (HR:1.761; 95% CI: 1.307-2.374). Even vitamin D insufficiency (20-30 ng/mL) increased depression risk compared to normal levels (HR:1.667; 95% CI: 1.318-2.11). In patients with VDD, cerebrovascular disease, malnutrition, and ischemic heart disease are risk factors for depression. Conclusions: VDD is independently associated with increased depression risk in patients with CKD, particularly in males. These findings suggest that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels might be important for mental health in patients with CKD, although randomized trials are needed to confirm whether supplementation can prevent depression in this population.

    Keywords: Vitamin D Deficiency, Chronic Kidney Disease, Depression, risk factor, nutrition

    Received: 06 Dec 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Wang, Lai, Chang, Lin and Hung. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Kuo-Chuan Hung, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan

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