Prospective association between depressive symptoms and cardiometabolic risk factors: the moderating role of physical activity in a longitudinal study with 5644 adults

Depressive symptoms have been associated with impaired metabolic health, but it remains unclear whether physical activity moderates these associations. This study examined the prospective association of depressive symptoms with cardiometabolic risk factors and tested the moderating role of physical activity. Data from 5644 adults (mean age of 50.2 ± 9.5 years, 1077 [19.1%] women) undergoing repeated health screening examinations were analyzed over a median follow-up of 2.0 years. The Beck Depression Inventory and International Physical Activity Questionnaire were applied for depressive symptoms and physical activity level, respectively. Cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed by blood plasma analysis (fasting triglycerides, glucose, and total-, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol), while central adiposity was assessed by waist circumference. Depressive symptoms were associated with high triglycerides concentrations (β = 0.343; 95% CI = 0.013; 0.674 [p = 0.042]) in overall sample. In analysis stratified by physical activity level, the association between depressive symptoms and higher triglycerides concentration remained significant only in physically inactive participants (β = 0.508; 95% CI = 0.126; 0.889 [p < 0.01]), although there was no significant interaction between physical activity and depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that the prospective association between depressive symptoms and triglyceride concentrations differs according to physical activity level, although no statistically significant interaction was observed.