Suicide 2X more likely with low vitamin D (in military) – Jan 2013

Low Vitamin D Status and Suicide:
A Case-Control Study of Active Duty Military Service Members

Plos One Jan 2013
John C. Umhau umhau@jhu.edu, David T. George, Robert P. Heaney, Michael D. Lewis, Robert J. Ursano, Markus Heilig, Joseph R. Hibbeln equal contributor, Melanie L. Schwandt equal contributor,

Objective: Considering that epidemiological studies show that suicide rates in many countries are highest in the spring when vitamin D status is lowest, and that low vitamin D status can affect brain function, we sought to evaluate if a low level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] could be a predisposing factor for suicide.

Method: We conducted a prospective, nested, case-control study using serum samples stored in the Department of Defense Serum Repository.
were previously deployed active duty US military personnel (2002–2008) who had a recent archived serum sample available for analysis.
Vitamin D status was estimated by measuring 25(OH) D levels in serum samples drawn within 24 months of the suicide.
Each verified suicide case (n = 495) was matched to a control (n = 495) by rank, age and sex.
We calculated odds ratio of suicide associated with categorical levels (octiles) of 25(OH) D, adjusted by season of serum collection.

Findings: More than 30% of all subjects had 25(OH)D values below 20 ng/mL. Although mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations did not differ between suicide cases and controls, risk estimates indicated that subjects in the lowest octile of season-adjusted 25(OH)D (<15.5 ng/mL) had the highest risk of suicide, with subjects in the subsequent higher octiles showing approximately the same level of decreased risk (combined odds ratio compared to lowest octile = 0.49; 95% C.I.: 0.315–0.768).

Conclusions: Low vitamin D status is common in active duty service members.
The lowest 25(OH)D levels are associated with an increased risk for suicide.
Future studies could determine if additional sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation might reduce suicide by increasing 25(OH) D levels.

Received: September 18, 2012; Accepted: November 5, 2012; Published: January 4, 2013

This is an open-access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose.
The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.

PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

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Video on this study at the Examiner Jan 2013

See also VitaminDWiki

• All items in category Winter blues and depression 268 items
• Suicide associated with low vitamin D - many studies
• Mental health problems cut in half when have adequate level of vitamin D – Jan 2013
• Mood disorders 11X worse for older adults with low vitamin D – 2006
• SAD rate 10X higher in cloudy Seattle than sunny Florida - April 2011
• Less than 20 ng vitamin D increases depression by 80 percent – Dec 2010
• Depression in UAE peaks in the summer – probably due to sun avoidance – Feb 2011
  • Wonder if suicide rate also peaks in the summer in UAE suicide
• Prisoners have very low vitamin D and get TB, influenza, and depression
  • includes another item "Suicide rate 9X higher for females in prison that outside" suicide
• Acne ==> use more vitamin A ==> reduces Vitamin D ==> increase suicide suicide
• Association between season of birth and suicide – perhaps vitamin D – Sept 2012 suicide
• Hypothesis Vitamin D supplements will reduce suicide – 2011 suicide
• Prisoners have very low vitamin D and get TB, influenza, and depression
• Testosterone increased with daily 3332 IU vitamin D – Dec 2010
• Every school shooter had used antidepression drugs, but how many were low on vitamin D
• Fewest Google searches for Mental Health when there is lots of vitamin D from the sun – May 2013
• Suicide rate among Native American teens increasing (yet no mention of low vitamin D) – May 2015

See also web

• Is low vitamin D linked to military suicide? Vitamin D Council Jan 2013
  soldiers with the lowest levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to complete suicide as were soldiers with higher levels
• Vitamin D: a potential role in reducing suicide risk? PubMed 2011
• Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S. NYT May 2013
• Association between body mass index and suicide, and suicide attempt among british adults: The health improvement network database
  PubMed March 2013. inverse linear tendency between BMI and suicide
  33,687 deaths from motor vehicle crashes and 38,364 suicides.
  CDC original Report May 2013
  The suicide rate for women aged 35–64 years increased by 31.5% in 12 years {Note: pre-menopausal women typically have less vitamin D than men}
• Seasonal effects on suicide rates Wikipedia
  prevalence of suicide is greatest during the late spring and early summer months {When the vitamin D levels are the lowest - VitaminDWiki}
  a decrease in seasonal effects on suicide rates over the past few decades which is understandable since in recent times people have low levels of vitamin D during all of the year]
  Note by VitaminDWiki - the Wikipedia article does not include the word vitamin
• Clues in the Cycle of Suicide New York Times, June 2013
  700 suicides/week average, except May and June, when it rises to 800/week rate. Rate falls during fall, when vitamin D is max.
  Article considers inflammation, not vitamin D

Note: Magnesium deficiency is also associated with low vitamin D and poor mental health

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Suicide rates have increased around the world
  (while vitamin D has been decreasing)

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Suicide has become the top cause of death for adults (15-49) around the world