“Calcium and vitamin D intakes may be positively associated with brain lesions in depressed and non-depressed elders

Abstract
Studies indicate that diet and vascular calcification may be related to the occurrence of brain lesions, although the importance of dietary calcium and vitamin D has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that calcium and vitamin D intakes would be positively associated with brain lesion volumes in elderly individuals with and without late-life depression. A cross sectional study was performed as part of a longitudinal clinical study of late-life depression. Calcium and vitamin D intakes were assessed in 232 elderly subjects (95 with current or prior depression, 137 without depression) using a Block 1998 food frequency questionnaire. Calcium, vitamin D, and kilocalorie intake were determined. Brain lesion volumes were calculated from magnetic resonance imaging scan. Subjects were age 60 years or over. Calcium and vitamin D intakes were significantly and positively correlated with brain lesion volume (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). In two separate multivariable models, controlling for age, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, group (depression/comparison), lesion load (high/low), and total kilocalories, these positive associations remained significant (p<0.05 for calcium; p < 0.001 for vitamin D). In conclusion, calcium and vitamin D consumption were associated with brain lesions in elderly subjects, even after controlling for potentially explanatory variables. These associations may be due to vascular calcification or other mechanism. The possibility of adverse effects of high intakes of calcium and vitamin D needs to be further explored in longitudinal studies of elderly subjects.

"...In conclusion, evidence of a positive association between brain lesion volume and intakes of both calcium and vitamin D was found among elderly individuals with and without depression in this preliminary study. These results are consistent with an association between calcium dysregulation and brain lesions. These findings need to be confirmed in a larger sample, particularly one which includes a wide range of conditions and lesion severities. In addition, future studies should incorporate biochemical measures. Evaluation of the wide-ranging effects on health of high calcium and vitamin D intakes are particularly critical at a time when both nutrients are being promoted for their potential protective effects for osteoporosis and other conditions. Randomized clinical trials are needed in order to confirm etiological relations between these micronutrients and brain lesions, and to determine whether vascular calcification or other mechanism explains such a relationship..."

full paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2516961/