Dear Dr. H: I just learned of a study that showed lower vitamin D levels in people who are depressed. Do you think that taking vitamin D helps with depression? – P.N., Philadelphia
Dear P.N.: Vitamin D, the so-called “sunshine vitamin,” is the hottest vitamin under study these days, with new studies coming out every month showing how supplemental vitamin D may protect against osteoporosis, heart disease, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, dementia, fatigue, psoriasis, tuberculosis and colds/flu.
Researchers have pointed out that there are a high amount of vitamin D receptors within certain areas of the brain, and that damage to these areas of the brain through illness and disease is associated with depression – especially in the elderly.
There’s no doubt that depressed folks tend to stay indoors more, eat less nutritious meals and be far less likely to take vitamin supplements that contain vitamin D. Those are all factors that can contribute to low levels of vitamin D. While several studies have pointed out the association between low vitamin D levels and a higher incidence of depression, it is difficult to say with certainty that folks are depressed because their vitamin D levels are low or that supplementation with vitamin D can improve one’s mood. That said, we’ve all felt better after a warm day full of sunshine.
Dear Dr. H.: I had thyroid cancer 11 years ago that’s now in remission. I’m a 38-year-old mother concerned about the risk of getting a second cancer – especially breast cancer. How much of a greater risk is it compared with a woman my age that’s never had cancer?– M.P., Parsippany, N.J.
Dear M.P.: Within the first 10 years after developing thyroid cancer, there’s a slightly greater risk of developing a second cancer of the breast, kidney, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, salivary gland, head and neck, lung, esophagus and bladder. But before you panic, let me give you a few research statistics that put things in perspective: Researchers from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City investigated the risk of non-thyroid second new cancers after thyroid cancer in more than 30,000 patients diagnosed between 1973 and 2002. They found that there were only about 6.5 additional cancers diagnosed per 10,000 persons per year. When you look at a subgroup of women in the 25-49 age group when originally diagnosed with thyroid cancer, there were only four additional cases of breast cancer per 10,000 persons per year.
You have been in remission for more than 10 years. The research seems to show that the increased risk of developing a second cancer is nearly gone after 10 years.
Send questions to “Ask Dr. H,” P.O. Box 767787, Atlanta, GA 30076. Personal replies are not possible.
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