生物谷報(bào)道：來自York大學(xué)和Hull York醫(yī)學(xué)院的科學(xué)家們最近發(fā)現(xiàn)，在抑郁癥和葉酸水平過低之間存在聯(lián)系,，葉酸是一種主要來自蔬菜的維生素。
發(fā)表于7月份Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health的文章中,，由Simon Gilbody博士領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的York大學(xué)小組認(rèn)為,，結(jié)合之前的11項(xiàng)包含了15315名參與者的相關(guān)研究結(jié)果，他們確定在發(fā)生抑郁癥和體內(nèi)低葉酸濃度之間確實(shí)存在聯(lián)系,。
上個(gè)月,，英國食品標(biāo)準(zhǔn)局曾建議英國健康部長采取強(qiáng)制措施在面包和面粉中加入葉酸，以起到防止神經(jīng)管缺陷的作用,。神經(jīng)管缺陷將有可能造成流產(chǎn),、新生兒缺陷及很多終生殘疾等。而現(xiàn)在,，York大學(xué)研究小組的結(jié)果則證實(shí),，這一措施同樣將有可能幫助治療抑郁癥,。
Gibody博士表示：“我們的研究結(jié)果非常獨(dú)特，因?yàn)樗状螌⑦@一有爭議的領(lǐng)域的所有相關(guān)證據(jù)結(jié)合到了一起,。盡管研究并不能直接證明低葉酸濃度將導(dǎo)致抑郁癥,，但我們確信這兩者之間存在聯(lián)系。有意思的是,，同樣存在一些實(shí)驗(yàn)證據(jù)證明補(bǔ)充葉酸有助于抑郁癥患者的好轉(zhuǎn),。因此我們建議進(jìn)行大型的實(shí)驗(yàn)來證明這一觀點(diǎn)是正確的。”
最近發(fā)表于刊物American Journal of Epidemiology上的來自同一個(gè)研究小組的文章中證實(shí),，患有抑郁癥的人體內(nèi)存在一種基因,，該基因使得他們處理葉酸的效率變得低下。葉酸和大腦中某些使人感覺良好的物質(zhì)產(chǎn)生有關(guān),，這一基因的發(fā)現(xiàn)為葉酸能有助于抑郁癥患者康復(fù)帶來了合理的解釋,。（引自教育部科技發(fā)展中心）
英文原文鏈接：http://www.physorg.com/news102082201.html
原始出處:
文章一：
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2007;61:631-637; doi:10.1136/jech.2006.050385
Is low folate a risk factor for depression? A meta-analysis and exploration of heterogeneity
Simon Gilbody1, Tracy Lightfoot2 and Trevor Sheldon1
1 Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
2 Epidemiology and Genetic Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
Correspondence to:
Dr S Gilbody
Department of Health Sciences, University of York, YO10 5DD, York, UK; [email protected]
Low folate has been causatively linked to depression, but research is contradictory. An association may arise due to chance, bias, confounding or reverse causality. A systematic review of observational studies which examined the association between depression and folate was conducted. 11 relevant studies (15 315 participants; three case–control studies, seven population surveys and one cohort study) examining the risk of depression in the presence of low folate were found. Pooling showed a significant relationship between folate status and depression (odds ratio (OR)pooled unadjusted = 1.55; 95% CI 1.26 to 1.91). This relationship remained after adjustment for potential confounding (OR)pooled adjusted = 1.42; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.83). Folate levels were also lower in depression. There is accumulating evidence that low folate status is associated with depression. Much of this evidence comes from case–control and cross-sectional studies. Cohort studies and definitive randomised-controlled trials to test the therapeutic benefit of folate are required to confirm or refute a causal relationship.
