title: Association between depressive symptoms and serum concentrations of homocysteine in men: a population study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Results of studies of the association between blood concentrations of homocysteine and depression in general populations and among psychiatric patients are inconsistent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to study the association between depression and serum concentrations of total homocysteine (tHcy).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of a sample of 924 men aged 46-64 y was conducted as a part of the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. Those who had a history of psychiatric disorder (6.0%) were excluded. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 18-item Human Population Laboratory Depression Scale. Those who scored > or =5 at baseline or at the 4-y follow-up were considered to have a tendency toward depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants were ranked according to their blood tHcy concentration and divided into tertiles. Those in the upper tertile for serum tHcy had a more than twofold (odds ratio: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.35, 3.90; P=0.002) higher risk of being depressed than did those in the lowest tertile for serum tHcy. The results remained significant after adjustment for the month of study, history of ischemic heart disease, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, marital status, education, and socioeconomic status in adulthood (odds ratio: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.30, 3.83; P=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High serum concentrations of tHcy may be associated with depression in middle-aged men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tommi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tolmunen
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hintikka
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voutilainen
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruusunen
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alfthan
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nyyssönen
authors.forename: Heimo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Viinamäki
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Jukka T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Salonen
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12