生物谷報道：來自York大學和Hull York醫(yī)學院的科學家們最近發(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博士領導的York大學小組認為，結合之前的11項包含了15315名參與者的相關研究結果，他們確定在發(fā)生抑郁癥和體內低葉酸濃度之間確實存在聯(lián)系,。
上個月，英國食品標準局曾建議英國健康部長采取強制措施在面包和面粉中加入葉酸,，以起到防止神經管缺陷的作用,。神經管缺陷將有可能造成流產、新生兒缺陷及很多終生殘疾等,。而現(xiàn)在，York大學研究小組的結果則證實,，這一措施同樣將有可能幫助治療抑郁癥,。
Gibody博士表示：“我們的研究結果非常獨特，因為它首次將這一有爭議的領域的所有相關證據(jù)結合到了一起,。盡管研究并不能直接證明低葉酸濃度將導致抑郁癥,，但我們確信這兩者之間存在聯(lián)系。有意思的是,，同樣存在一些實驗證據(jù)證明補充葉酸有助于抑郁癥患者的好轉,。因此我們建議進行大型的實驗來證明這一觀點是正確的。”
最近發(fā)表于刊物American Journal of Epidemiology上的來自同一個研究小組的文章中證實,，患有抑郁癥的人體內存在一種基因,，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產生有關，這一基因的發(fā)現(xiàn)為葉酸能有助于抑郁癥患者康復帶來了合理的解釋,。（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.
