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Association between serum β-carotene and suicidal ideation in adults: a cross-sectional study
The study by Lv et al. (2024) aimed to determine if serum carotenoid levels are associated with suicidal thoughts and how depression may affect this relationship. This study involved 7,335 adults from the U.S. and used a cross-sectional design. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to assess the quantities of serum carotenoid components, such as lutein/zeaxanthin, β-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene, while the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure suicidal thoughts. Of the participants, 3.3% (245 individuals) reported suicidal thoughts. Those with suicidal ideation had lower serum levels of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lutein/zeaxanthin than those without. Even after adjusting for confounders, serum β-carotene remained associated with suicidal thoughts. The mediation analysis showed that the severity of depressive symptoms mediated 36.3% of this relationship. The stratified analysis revealed that the association was stronger in depressed individuals but weaker in those without depression. Higher serum β-carotene levels may reduce the risk of suicidal ideation, particularly in those with depression. Additional intervention studies are needed to verify if β-carotene supplementation can help prevent suicidal ideation. [NPID: β-carotene, carotenoid, depressive disorder, NHANES, suicidal ideation]
Year: 2024
