@article{ref1, title="Low vitamin D status and suicide: a case-control study of active duty military service members", journal="PLoS one", year="2013", author="Umhau, John C. and George, David Theodore and Heaney, Robert P. and Lewis, Michael D. and Ursano, Robert J. and Heilig, Markus and Hibbeln, Joseph R. and Schwandt, Melanie L.", volume="8", number="1", pages="e51543-e51543", abstract="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.

Language: en

", language="en", issn="1932-6203", doi="10.1371/journal.pone.0051543", url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051543" }