assessing effects of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels on anxiety and depression in patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma

Background and objectives: in colorectal cancer patients experiencing depression and anxiety, vitamin d supplementation may boost mood by rectifying serum 25(oh)d levels. this study assessed the potential for vitamin d to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety in colorectal cancer patients with insufficient clinical evidence available.materials and methods: in this study, 46 colorectal adenocarcinoma patients were included based on specific inclusion criteria. serum 25(oh)d levels were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and assessed anxiety and depression using zung’s questionnaire at baseline. based on the baseline serum 25(oh)d levels, patients were categorized into four groups of < 12 ng/ml, 12–20 ng/ml, 20–30 ng/ml and ≥ 30 ng/ml. a standard dose of vitamin d supplementation was administered based on the study protocol. after 12 w, serum 25(oh)d levels, anxiety and depression were assessed and statistical analyses were carried out.results: in this clinical trial, 80% of patients (median age, 56.8 y) had inadequate baseline serum 25(oh)d levels (< 30 ng/ml), with 28.3% having depressive symptoms (zung sds score > 50) and 37% showing anxiety symptoms (zung sas score ≥ 40). the average serum 25(oh)d level increased from 25.4 ng/ml before the intervention to 34.8 ng/ml post-intervention. significant differences were reported in serum 25(oh)d levels before and after the intervention (p = 0.0001). additionally, significant decreases were reported in the mean scores for anxiety (p = 0.021) and depression (p = 0.015) after the intervention. changes in serum 25(oh)d levels were significant and inversely correlated with changes in depression (p = 0.0186) and anxiety (p = 0.0099) scores.conclusions: vitamin d supplementation may significantly improve depression and anxiety symptoms in colorectal adenocarcinoma patients.