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Independent and combined effect of serum copper and folate on depression: cross-sectional data from the NHANES 2011–2016
Depression has been commonly seen to affect both mental and physical health. Prior studies have demonstrated a connection between depression and low blood folate levels and elevated copper levels. The purpose of this study by Liu, Wang & Jiang (2024) was to investigate if blood folate levels—either by themselves or in conjunction with copper levels—are linked to a higher risk of depression. The analysis was based on data from individuals aged 18 to 80 who participated in the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to assess the role of trace elements. The authors used the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to quantify depression, in addition to three notable indices—the attributable proportion of interaction (API), synergy index (SI), and relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), to analyze interaction effects. Among the 4,847 participants, 429 (8.9%) had PHQ-9 scores above 10, suggesting depressive symptoms. Higher blood copper levels and folate insufficiency were both linked to an elevated risk of depression when confounding variables were taken into account. Participants with both elevated copper levels and folate deficiency had the highest depression risk. The study found a potential synergistic effect between high copper and low folate levels, which accounted for 19% of depression cases. The authors conclude that elevated copper levels and lower folate levels may play a role in increasing the risk of depression. Additional population-based intervention studies are needed to determine whether folic acid supplementation could help prevent depression in individuals with elevated copper levels. [NPID: NHANES, folate, copper, depression, interaction effect]
Year: 2024
