Vitamin D3 supplementation and treatment outcomes in patients with depression (D3-vit-dep)

To examine whether vitamin D supplementation in patients with depression would result in a reduction in Hamilton D-17 depression score (primary outcome) at 3 and 6 months compared to controls and to explore the correlations between serum vitamin D and symptoms of depression, wellbeing, systolic blood pressure, and waist circumference. In this outpatient multicentre study conducted between 2010 and 2013, patients, 18-65 years old, diagnosed with mild to severe depression were randomly assigned to receive D supplementation 70 micrograms daily or placebo on top of standard treatment. Participants, care givers and those assessing the outcomes were blinded to group assignment.

At baseline, 23 patients had a normal 25(OH)D level, 22 had insufficiency (< 25 nmol/L), and 17 had deficiency (25-50 nmol/L). No significant reduction in depression was seen after vitamin D supplementation compared to placebo at Hamilton (18.4-18.0; p = 0.73 at 12 weeks). Vitamin D supplementation did not provide a reduction in symptom score among patients with depression. Trial registration The trial was registered in the National Board of Health (EudraCT: 2011-002585-20) and in ClinicalTrials.Gov (NCT01390662).