Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25573400›Full record

Trial reportThe British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science2015

Effect of long-term supplementation with folic acid and B vitamins on risk of depression in older women.

Olivia I Okereke, Nancy R Cook, Christine M Albert, Martin Van Denburgh, Julie E Buring, JoAnn E Manson

Open access · bronzeAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.1field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The Efficacy of Oral Vitamin Supplementation in Dry Eye Disease: A Systematic Review.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Vitamin BCurrent psychiatry reports · 2024
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Centering Culture in Mental Health: Differences in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Access to Care Among Older People of Color.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2022
    Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Plasma homocysteine concentrations and depression: A twin study.Journal of affective disorders reports · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Olivia I OkerekeOlivia I. Okereke, MD, SM, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Boston, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Nancy R. Cook, ScD, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Christine M. Albert, Martin Van Denburgh, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Julie E. Buring, ScD, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Nancy R CookOlivia I. Okereke, MD, SM, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Boston, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Nancy R. Cook, ScD, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Christine M. Albert, Martin Van Denburgh, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Julie E. Buring, ScD, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Christine M AlbertOlivia I. Okereke, MD, SM, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Boston, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Nancy R. Cook, ScD, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Christine M. Albert, Martin Van Denburgh, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Julie E. Buring, ScD, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Martin Van DenburghOlivia I. Okereke, MD, SM, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Boston, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Nancy R. Cook, ScD, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Christine M. Albert, Martin Van Denburgh, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Julie E. Buring, ScD, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Julie E BuringOlivia I. Okereke, MD, SM, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Boston, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Nancy R. Cook, ScD, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Christine M. Albert, Martin Van Denburgh, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Julie E. Buring, ScD, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
JoAnn E MansonOlivia I. Okereke, MD, SM, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Boston, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Nancy R. Cook, ScD, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Christine M. Albert, Martin Van Denburgh, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Julie E. Buring, ScD, JoAnn E. Manson, MD, DrPH, Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Brigham and Women's Hospital · USHarvard University · US

Funding

VITAL-DEP: Depression Endpoint Prevention in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaLR01MH091448 · NIMH · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI OKEREKE, OLIVIA IFEOMA · 2010 to 2019
$6.5M
TRIAL OF ANTIOXIDANT THERAPY OF CVD IN WOMENR01HL046959 · NHLBI · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI MANSON, JOANN ELISABETH · 1993 to 2005
$3.6M
VITAL-DEP (VITamin D and OmegA 3 TriaL-Depression Endpoint Prevention)R56MH091448 · NIMH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI OKEREKE, OLIVIA IFEOMA · 2022 to 2022
$1.3M
Dietary Fat Composition, Plasma Lipids, and Cognitive DeclineK08AG029813 · NIA · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI OKEREKE, OLIVIA IFEOMA · 2008 to 2011
$531k
NHLBI NIH HHS HL46959NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL046959NIA NIH HHS K08 AG029813NIMH NIH HHS MH091448NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH091448NIMH NIH HHS R56 MH091448
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHomocysteine-lowering nutrients may have preventive/ameliorative roles in depression.

aimsTo test whether long-term B-vitamin/folate supplementation reduces depression risk.

methodParticipants were 4331 women (mean age 63.6 years), without prior depression, from the Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study - a randomised controlled trial of cardiovascular disease prevention among 5442 women. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a combination of folic acid (2.5 mg/d), vitamin B6 (50 mg/d) and vitamin B12 (1 mg/d) or a matching placebo. Average treatment duration was 7 years. The outcome was incident depression, defined as self-reported physician/clinician-diagnosed depression or clinically significant depressive symptoms.

resultsThere were 524 incident cases. There was no difference between active v. placebo groups in depression risk (adjusted relative risk 1.02, 95% CI 0.86-1.21, P = 0.81), despite significant homocysteine level reduction.

conclusionsLong-term, high-dose, daily supplementation with folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 did not reduce overall depression risk in mid-life and older women.

Indexed as

AgedDepressionDietary SupplementsDrug Therapy, CombinationFemaleFolic AcidFollow-Up StudiesHumansMiddle AgedRisk FactorsSelf ReportVitamin B 12Vitamin B 6Folic AcidVitamin B 12Vitamin B 6

Identifiers

PMID25573400
PMCPMC4381191
OpenAlexW2133924675

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.