title: Zinc Deficiency Is associated With Depressive Symptoms-Results From the Berlin Aging Study II.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Zinc plays an important role for behavioral and mental function, maintaining the correct functions of intracellular signal transduction, cellular and trans-membrane transport, protein synthesis, and antioxidant system. We investigated both dietary zinc intake and plasma zinc levels and the correlation with depressive symptoms in a large sample of community-dwelling old.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand five hundred fourteen older people (aged 60-84 years, 772 women) from the Berlin Aging Study II were included. Zinc intake was assessed by the EPIC Food Frequency Questionnaire. Plasma zinc levels were assessed with atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the "Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale" and the "Geriatric Depression Scale."
  
  
  RESULTS
  Zinc deficiency in blood plasma was found in 18.7% of participants, and depressive symptoms in 15.7%. Participants with depressive symptoms had lower energy-adjusted zinc intake (median 11.1 vs 11.6 µmol/L; p = .048) and lower plasma zinc levels (median 12.2 vs12.3 mg/dL; p = .037). Even after adjustment for known predictors of depression, plasma zinc deficiency remained significantly associated with depressive symptoms (odds ratio: 1.490, 95% confidence interval: 1.027-2.164; p = .036). In the multiple logistic regression model stratified by sex, we found that plasma zinc deficiency was strongly associated with a higher risk for depressive symptoms in women (odds ratio: 1.739, 95% confidence interval: 1.068-2.833; p = .026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma zinc deficiency was common in our old study population. An increase in dietary zinc and higher plasma zinc levels may reduce the risk of depressive symptoms. A screening for reduced dietary zinc intake or plasma zinc deficiency might be beneficial in older people at risk of depressive symptoms.
authors: Charité Research Group on Geriatrics.
authors: Alissa
authors: A
authors: Jung
authors: Charité Research Group on Geriatrics.|Interdisciplinary Metabolic Center.
authors: Dominik
authors: D
authors: Spira
authors: Charité Research Group on Geriatrics.|Interdisciplinary Metabolic Center.
authors: Elisabeth
authors: E
authors: Steinhagen-Thiessen
authors: Charité Research Group on Geriatrics.|Interdisciplinary Metabolic Center.|Institute of Medical and Human Genetics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany.
authors: Ilja
authors: I
authors: Demuth
authors: Charité Research Group on Geriatrics.|Interdisciplinary Metabolic Center.
authors: Kristina
authors: K
authors: Norman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D058620:Elder Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc
keywords: Depressive disorders; Plasma zinc; Zinc intake