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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2015 Apr;206(4):324-31.
doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.148361. Epub 2015 Jan 8.

Effect of long-term supplementation with folic acid and B vitamins on risk of depression in older women

Olivia I Okereke  1 , Nancy R Cook  1 , Christine M Albert  1 , Martin Van Denburgh  1 , Julie E Buring  1 , JoAnn E Manson  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of long-term supplementation with folic acid and B vitamins on risk of depression in older women

Olivia I Okereke et al. Br J Psychiatry. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Homocysteine-lowering nutrients may have preventive/ameliorative roles in depression.

Aims: To test whether long-term B-vitamin/folate supplementation reduces depression risk.

Method: Participants were 4331 women (mean age 63.6 years), without prior depression, from the Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study - a randomised controlled trial of cardiovascular disease prevention among 5442 women. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a combination of folic acid (2.5 mg/d), vitamin B6 (50 mg/d) and vitamin B12 (1 mg/d) or a matching placebo. Average treatment duration was 7 years. The outcome was incident depression, defined as self-reported physician/clinician-diagnosed depression or clinically significant depressive symptoms.

Results: There were 524 incident cases. There was no difference between active v. placebo groups in depression risk (adjusted relative risk 1.02, 95% CI 0.86-1.21, P = 0.81), despite significant homocysteine level reduction.

Conclusions: Long-term, high-dose, daily supplementation with folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 did not reduce overall depression risk in mid-life and older women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest

Vitamin E and its placebo were supplied by Cognis Corporation (LaGrange, Illinois, USA). All other agents and their placebos were supplied by BASF Corporation (Mount Olive, New Jersey, USA). Pill packaging was provided by Cognis and BASF.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of participation and incident depression in the folic acid/B6/B12 combination pill and placebo arms of the Women’s Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study (WAFACS) trial.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cumulative incidence of depression by randomised treatment assignment (active agent v. placebo).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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