Higher Body Iron Is Associated with Greater Depression Symptoms among Young Adult Men but not Women: Observational Data from the Daily Life Study

Abstract

Studies investigating possible associations between iron status and mood or depressive symptoms have reported inconsistent results. However, they have neither used body iron to measure iron status nor measured mood using daily measures. We investigated whether body iron was associated with depressive symptoms, daily mood, daily tiredness, difficulty concentrating, and stress in young adult women and men. Young adult (17–25 years) women (n = 562) and men (n = 323) completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, then reported negative and positive mood, and other states daily for 13 days. Non-fasting venous blood was collected to determine hemoglobin, serum ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor (to calculate body iron), C-reactive protein, and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein concentration. Regression models tested linear associations between body iron and the outcome variables, controlling for possible confounders. No associations were found between body iron and the outcome variables in women. However, higher body iron was associated with more depressive symptoms in men (3.4% more per body iron mg/kg; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.8%, 5.9%). In young adult women, body iron is unlikely to be associated with significant deficits in mood or depressive symptoms. However, higher body iron may be associated with more depressive symptoms in young adult men.

Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping Reveals an Association between Brain Iron Load and Depression Severity

“…Previous studies commonly used serum or plasma ferritin to elucidate the link between depression and body iron, but regretfully, the results are still inconclusive. Some researchers found that higher body iron was associated with more depressive symptoms and serum ferritin levels were significantly higher at admission in post-stroke depression patients (Richardson et al, 2015 ; Zhu et al, 2016 ). Some studies indicated that lower levels of serum ferritin concentrations had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and these depressive symptoms concomitantly occurred among patients with anemia (Yi et al, 2011 ).…”

Major Depression in Children with β-Thalassemia Major is Strongly Associated with the Number of Blood Transfusions, Iron Overload and Increased Levels of Interleukin-1β

“…The second major finding of this study is that a) MDD in patients with β-TM and severity of illness are significantly predicted by IO markers including increased iron, ferritin, and TS% levels; and b) the effect of number of transfusions on severity of illness are partially mediated by those IO biomarkers. Previously, it was detected that higher body iron may be associated with more depressive symptoms in young adult men [55]. Interestingly, MDD in adults is accompanied by the anemia of inflammation with lowered iron stores, lowered Tf levels, increased ferritin levels and aberrations in the erythron including lower number of erythrocytes, and a reduced hematocrit and hemoglobin [39].…”

Nutritional therapy can reduce the burden of depression management in low income countries: A review

“…Iron is another cofactor for numerous enzymatic processes, which modulates neuronal development and regulates dopaminergic neurotransmission ( Youdim et al, 1983 ). It exacerbates depressive symptoms upon higher body intake in young adult males ( Richardson et al, 2015 ); while their deficit decreases oxygen supply to the brain, brain energy production, as well as deregulation of the dopaminergic system and depression lower levels ( de Deungria et al, 2000 , Matak et al, 2016 ). Calcium is very essential in the body for muscle contraction, blood-clotting, bones and teeth formation, and maintenance.…”