by Lori Solomon

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is independently associated with increased depression risk in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study published online Jan. 26 in Frontiers in Nutrition.

I-Wen Chen, from Chi Mei Medical Center in Tainan City, Taiwan, and colleagues examined the association between VDD and the risk for depression. The analysis included 17,955 propensity-matched pairs of patients with CKD (aged 50 years and older) with VDD of ≤20 ng/mL or ≥30 ng/mL (control group), as measured within three months of CKD diagnosis.

The researchers found that VDD was associated with increased depression risk at one year (hazard ratio [HR], 1.929). This association remained at follow-up three years later. The finding was consistent across CKD stages, with similar risks in early CKD (HR, 1.977) and CKD stage 3 to 5 (HR, 1.981). Depression risk was higher among men with VDD (HR, 2.264) versus women (HR, 1.761). Higher depression risk was seen even with vitamin D insufficiency (20 to 30 ng/mL) versus normal levels (HR, 1.667).

“These findings suggest that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels might be important for mental health in patients with CKD, although randomized trials are needed to confirm whether supplementation can prevent depression in this population,” the authors write.

More information: I-Wen Chen et al, Association between vitamin D deficiency and major depression in patients with chronic kidney disease: a cohort study, Frontiers in Nutrition (2025). DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1540633

Journal information:Frontiers in Nutrition

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