Association of vitamin D and N-acetylcysteine supplementation with anxiety, cognition, and biomarkers in generalized anxiety disorder: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between combined vitamin D and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation and clinical outcomes in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included 88 propensity-score-matched patients with GAD from Beidahuang Group Neuropsychiatric Hospital. Based on clinical records, patients were classified into an observation group (vitamin D3 + NAC + usual care) and a control group (usual care only). Anxiety symptoms and cognitive function were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Automatic Thought Questionnaire (ATQ), and Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS). Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], inflammatory markers [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6)], oxidative stress parameters [glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD)], and neurochemical markers [brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), dopamine (DA), Serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE)] were measured at baseline and week 8.

RESULTS

After 8 weeks, both groups showed significant improvements in BAI, ATQ, and DAS scores, with greater reductions in the observation group (all P < 0.05). The observation group also exhibited more favorable changes in biomarkers: greater increases in 25(OH)D, GSH, SOD, BDNF, DA, 5-HT, and NE, and greater decreases in MDA, IL-6, and hs-CRP compared to the control group (all P < 0.05). Adverse event incidence was low and similar between groups.

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective cohort, combined vitamin D and NAC supplementation was associated with significantly greater improvements in anxiety symptoms, cognitive patterns, and relevant metabolic biomarkers in patients with GAD compared to usual care alone, supporting its potential as an adjunctive therapy.