(A1105) Association Between Serum Vitamin D Levels and Anxiety and Depression Among Adults with Allergic Rhinitis

Introduction: Anxiety or depression often accompanies allergic rhinitis (AR), and vitamin D (VD) may act as a mediator in this relationship.
Objective. To determine whether VD levels are associated with anxiety or depression in adults with AR.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in AR patients aged 18 years or older, categorized into three groups based on VD levels: sufficient (≥ 30 ng/mL), insufficient (20–29 ng/mL), or deficient ( < 20 ng/mL). Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory, respectively. Multivariate and interaction statistical analyses were performed.

Results: A total of 147 patients were included, with a mean age of 34.2 years; 75.5% were women, 77.6% had persistent AR, and 63.3% had moderate-to-severe AR. VD levels were sufficient, insufficient, and deficient in 29.3%, 42.2%, and 28.6% of patients, respectively. Initially, no association was found between VD levels and anxiety or depression. However, in the subgroup with IgE ≥ 100 IU/mL, insufficient or deficient VD levels were associated with anxiety (OR = 6.6 and OR = 9.0, respectively, p < 0.01). Additionally, a synergistic multiplicative interaction was observed between IgE levels (≥ 100 IU/mL) and insufficient (OR = 16.4, p = 0.004) or deficient VD levels (OR = 21.9, p = 0.005) as factors associated with anxiety. No similar association was found for depression.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that individuals with AR are at risk of anxiety (but not depression) when they have low VD levels and elevated serum IgE levels.