A total of 135 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on HD were enrolled in the study. The severity of depression was assessed using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Plasma zinc level was measured from fasting samples.
Mean age of the patients was 52.45 (standard deviation: 15.33) years. In all, 76 % of the patients had some degree of depression according to BDI scoring system (BDI >14). The mean level of plasma zinc in the depressed patients was significantly lower than the rest of the patients (67.46 ¡À 29.7 vs. 85.26 + 40.05).
Zinc deficiency may be a reversible cause which might contribute to the increased rate of depression in HD patients. This is the first study reporting the association of zinc deficiency with the presence of depression in HD patients; therefore, these findings need further investigations.