Health Highlights: May 6, 2008

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Depression Risk in Elderly

Elderly people with low levels of vitamin D may be at increased risk for depression and other mental health disorders, Dutch researchers say.

Of the 1,282 people, ages 65 to 92, in the study, 26 had major depression and 169 had minor depression. Vitamin D levels were 14 percent lower in those with major or minor depression,Agence France-Pressereported.

The researchers also found that low vitamin D levels were associated with increased levels of a hormone secreted by the parathyroid gland. Overactive parathyroid glands are often linked with depression.

The findings, published in the journalArchives of General Psychiatry, may help lead to new ways to treat depression,AFPreported. Both low vitamin D levels and high parathyroid hormone levels can be corrected by dietary and calcium supplements or increased exposure to sunlight, which prompts the body to make vitamin D.

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Insulin Pumps Linked to Deaths, Injuries Among Young People

Between 1996 and 2005, there were 13 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries reported among young people using insulin pumps to treat type 1 diabetes, says a U.S. Food and Drug Administration study. The pumps offer an alternative to multiple daily injections of insulin by syringe.

The researchers didn't advise against the use of the pumps, but called for more safety studies of the popular devices and urged parents to be vigilant in monitoring their children's use of the pumps, theAssociated Pressreported.

In some cases, the insulin pumps malfunctioned, and in other cases users were careless or took risks, according to the study of young people, aged 12 to 21. The findings are published in the May issue of the journalPediatrics.

"Parental oversight and involvement are important. Certainly teenagers don't always consider the consequences," said lead author Dr. Judith Cope, theAPreported.

For example, some teens didn't know how to use the pumps correctly, while others didn't take care of the pumps or dropped them, the study found.