Low Vitamin D Status and Suicide: A Case-Control Study of Active Duty Military Service Members

[postulater]

Objective

Considering that epidemiological studies show that suicide rates in many countries are highest in the spring when vitamin D status is lowest, and that low vitamin D status can affect brain function, we sought to evaluate if a low level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] could be a predisposing factor for suicide.

Method

We conducted a prospective, nested, case-control study using serum samples stored in the Department of Defense Serum Repository. Participants were previously deployed active duty US military personnel (2002–2008) who had a recent archived serum sample available for analysis. Vitamin D status was estimated by measuring 25(OH) D levels in serum samples drawn within 24 months of the suicide. Each verified suicide case (n = 495) was matched to a control (n = 495) by rank, age and sex. We calculated odds ratio of suicide associated with categorical levels (octiles) of 25(OH) D, adjusted by season of serum collection.

Findings

More than 30% of all subjects had 25(OH)D values below 20 ng/mL. Although mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations did not differ between suicide cases and controls, risk estimates indicated that subjects in the lowest octile of season-adjusted 25(OH)D (<15.5 ng/mL) had the highest risk of suicide, with subjects in the subsequent higher octiles showing approximately the same level of decreased risk (combined odds ratio compared to lowest octile = 0.49; 95% C.I.: 0.315–0.768).

Conclusions

Low vitamin D status is common in active duty service members. The lowest 25(OH)D levels are associated with an increased risk for suicide. Future studies could determine if additional sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation might reduce suicide by increasing 25(OH) D levels.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0051543

[Lisa0825]

1. I find that to be very interesting.... I had a VERY low level a couple years ago.

My doc said it was the lowest she had ever seen or heard of. Normal is 30-74. Mine was 5!!!

At that time, I was also going through a lot. I had been laid off, had gotten another job, but that company was floundering and I would soon be laid off again, and I had developed a painful chronic eye condition. I was feeling really depressed, and likely it was due to all the stress, but it could have been compounded by the deficiency. Thankfully she got me supplemented and now I am stable, though on the low end of normal.