Depression associates with Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Vitamin B12 and Folate status: Findings from Belfast Elderly Longitudinal Free-Living Ageing STudy (BELFAST)

Introduction: An association between depression and folate has been found in clinical studies. Depression and dementia can contribute to nutritional deficiency. This study clinical depression in in octo/nonagenarians from the BELFAST study.
Method: In the BELFAST study, 38 free-living octo/nonagenarians (mean age 82 years), who apparently well and cognitively intact were followed up at 5 years and assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Folstein (30 point), Mini Nutritional Assessment Tool (MNA) together with serum folate and vitamin B12 levels.
Results: Mean GDS was 3.4 (SD 2.5), serum folate 7.1 umol/l (SD 5.3) and B12 553 umol/l (458). With mean MNA and Folstein -25.8 (SD 2.7) and 27.6 (SD 2.7) respectively with no sex difference (p = 0.78; p = 0.36). 25% of subjects showed a GDS >5 indicating risk of mild depression and 21% had compromised nutritional status. MNA associated with GDS in male (r2 = 0.56 p = 0.01), but not in female elderly subjects (r2 = 0.01; p = 0.44). GDS score and lower serum folate were associated (r2 = -0.23; p = 0.01).
Conclusion: Overall there was the suggestion that nutritional status and depression might be linked in male subjects at 5 year follow-up in octo/nonagenarians from the BEFLAST study. The lower folate in subjects categorised at risk of mild depression might suggest vitamin supplementation could be useful.