View article

Studies on the association between homocysteine levels and depression have shown conflicting results. To examine the association between serum total homocysteine (tHcy) levels and major depressive disorder (MDD) in a large community sample with an extended age range.

A total of 3392 men and women aged 35–66 years participating in the CoLaus study and its psychiatric arm (PsyCoLaus) were included in the analyses. High tHcy measured from fasting blood samples was defined as a concentration ≥15 μmol/L. MDD was assessed using the semi-structured Diagnostic Interview for Genetics Studies.

In multivariate analyses, elevated tHcy levels were associated with greater odds of meeting the diagnostic criteria for lifetime MDD among men (OR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.18–2.50). This was particularly the case for remitted MDD. Among women, there was no significant association …