Recently published research Journal of Inflammation Research A potential association has been found between low levels of vitamin K and an increased risk of depression and suicidal behavior. Although epidemiological research in this area is limited, this new study highlights strong evidence suggesting that vitamin K deficiency may be a significant biological risk factor for these mental health problems.
A total of 295 participants were included in this retrospective cross-sectional analysis, divided into two groups: 146 with a history of suicide attempts and 149 without a history of suicide attempts. The study measured various biological markers, including thyroid hormones, lipid profile, inflammatory cytokines, and vitamins, to explore the potential association between depression and suicidal behavior.
They found that participants who had attempted suicide had significantly lower levels of FT4 (free thyroxine), total cholesterol (TC), vitamin D, and vitamin K. These individuals also had elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation.
Among the various variables investigated, vitamin K emerged as a strong predictor of suicidal behavior in depressed patients. The study reported that vitamin K levels had a sensitivity of 0.842 and a specificity of 0.715 in diagnosing suicide attempts in depressed patients. This means that vitamin K levels accurately identified individuals at risk for suicidal behavior in over 80% of cases.
Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed that vitamin K levels were significantly and positively correlated with several other biomarkers, including FT4, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and small dense LDL cholesterol. These results suggest a broader interaction between vitamin K and other physiological processes that may affect mental health.
Multivariate analysis revealed the importance of vitamin K as a predictor of suicide attempt in depressed patients. It also showed that serum vitamin K levels significantly predicted suicidal behavior (odds ratio = 0.614, P = 0.004, 95% confidence interval 0.153-0.904). Analysis of FT4, CRP, and vitamin D data showed a negative correlation between vitamin K levels and suicide attempt, indicating that low vitamin K levels are associated with a higher risk of suicide attempt in relation to other health markers.
The results of this study suggest that monitoring and management of vitamin K levels may play an important role in the prevention and treatment of depression and suicidality. Given the high diagnostic value of vitamin K, clinicians may consider incorporating vitamin K assessment into the routine evaluation of patients at risk for depression and suicidality.
reference:
Wang, S.-T., He, X.-Y., Le, J., Sun, T., & Peng, R. (2024). Association between vitamin K and suicide attempts in patients with depression: A case-control study. Journal of Inflammation Research: Vol. Volume 17 (pp. 3423–3431). Informa UK Limited. https://doi.org/10.2147/jir.s463204
