Choline in anxiety and depression: the Hordaland Health Study.
BACKGROUND
Despite its importance in the central nervous system as a precursor for acetylcholine and membrane phosphatidylcholine, the role of choline in mental illness has been little studied.


OBJECTIVE
We examined the cross-sectional association between plasma choline concentrations and scores of anxiety and depression symptoms in a general population sample.


METHODS
We studied a subsample (n = 5918) of the Hordaland Health Study, including both sexes and 2 age groups of 46-49 and 70-74 y who had valid information on plasma choline concentrations and symptoms of anxiety and depression measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale--the latter 2 as continuous measures and dichotomized at a score > or =8 for both subscales.


RESULTS
The lowest choline quintile was significantly associated with high anxiety levels (odds ratio: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.69) in the fully adjusted (age group, sex, time since last meal, educational level, and smoking habits) logistic regression model. Also, the trend test in the anxiety model was significant (P = 0.007). In the equivalent fully adjusted linear regression model, a significant inverse association was found between choline quintiles and anxiety levels (standardized regression coefficient = -0.027, P = 0.045). We found no significant associations in the corresponding analyses of the relation between plasma choline and depression symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
In this large population-based study, choline concentrations were negatively associated with anxiety symptoms but not with depression symptoms.
Bjelland
Ingvar
I
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Tell
Grethe S
GS
Vollset
Stein E
SE
Konstantinova
Svetlana
S
Ueland
Per M
PM
D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002794:Choline / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway
D002794:Choline