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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #124793
Title: VITAMIN B6 IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEPRESSION IN HISPANIC ELDERS

Author
item FALCON, LUIS - NORTHEASTERN U
item TUCKER, KATHERINE - HNRCA

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2001
Publication Date: 6/29/2001
Citation: FALCON, L.M., TUCKER, K.L. VITAMIN B6 IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEPRESSION IN HISPANIC ELDERS. MEETING ABSTRACT. 2001;Program Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: It has been suggested that B vitamins, and particularly vitamin B6, may protect against depression in the elderly. We conducted a representative survey of Hispanic elders living in Massachusetts along with neighborhood based non-Hispanic white elders (NHWs). We have previously reported that these mainly Puerto Rican and Dominican elders had high prevalence of depressive symptom atology, using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We measured dietary intake of vitamin B6 using a specially designed food frequency questionnaire for this population and assessed plasma pyridoxyl-6-phosphate (PLP) concentrations. Both depression scores and B6 measures were log transformed to improve normality. We regressed depression scores on plasma B6 and dietary B6, respectively, adjusting age, sex, education, ethnicity, and (for diet only), total energy intake, for 424 Hispanics and 148 NHWs. In this population, 44% of Puerto Ricans, 32% of Dominicans, 30% of other Hispanics and 22% of NHWs had CES-D scores greater than 16, indicating depressive caseness. Twelve percent of Hispanics and 9% of NHWs had vitamin B6 intakes <2/3 the RDA. Eleven percent of Hispanics and 17% of NHWs had plasma B-6 (PLP) <20 nmol/L and 42% of Hispanics and 36% of NHWs had PLP <35 nmol/L. Both dietary intake and plasma vitamin B6 were significantly associated with depression score (P=0.0001 and 0.04, respectively). Vitamin B6 status was inadequate in this representative sample of Hispanic elders and in neighborhood based NHWs in Massachusetts. Improving vitamin B6 status may also reduce the high prevalence of depression in this community.