Key result
Participants with major depressive disorder exhibited significantly higher hemoglobin A1c levels than those without the disorder (5.60% vs. 5.35%), an effect particularly pronounced in obese women.
Why the study?
Obesity and major depressive disorder are burdensome chronic conditions with common comorbidity in women, but the impact of MDD on links between obesity, cardiometabolic function, and sex differences remained unclear.
Does major depressive disorder and obesity interact to increase HbA1c levels in adults?
Cross-Sectional (n=525)
Yes
Does major depressive disorder and obesity interact to increase HbA1c levels in adults?
Absolute Event Rate: 5.6% vs 5.35%
p-value: p=<0.05
Women with comorbid recurrent major depressive disorder and obesity exhibit significantly higher HbA1c levels, suggesting a shared metabolic pathway that increases diabetes and cardiometabolic risk in this population.
May warrant glycemic vigilance in obese women with MDD; leaves open causal interactions and intervention effects.
Background: Obesity (OB) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are chronic conditions associated with disease burden, and their comorbidity appears more common among women. Mechanisms linking these conditions may involve inflammatory and metabolic pathways. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of MDD on relationships between OB and cardiometabolic function, and sex differences therein. Materials and Methods: Adult offspring from the New England Family Studies (NEFS) were assessed at ages 39–50, including anthropometry, cardiometabolic profile assays, and metabolic syndrome. Individuals were grouped by body mass index (BMI) and MDD status: healthy weight with (n = 50) or without MDD (n = 95) and obese with (n = 79) or without MDD (n = 131). The interaction of (recurrent) MDD and BMI on cardiometabolic markers was tested using quantile regression models. Results: Participants with MDD exhibited significantly higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) than those without MDD (5.60% vs. 5.35%, p < 0.05). Women with comorbid recurrent MDD and OB had higher HbA1c levels compared to obese women without MDD (5.75% vs. 5.44%, p < 0.05); an interaction between MDD and BMI status was not observed among men. Conclusions: We demonstrated sex differences in the interaction between BMI and recurrent MDD status on a primary biomarker for diabetes risk, suggesting a common metabolic pathway predisposing women to these comorbid conditions. Further investigation is needed to identify mechanisms that may lead to more effective, sex-dependent screening and therapies.
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Holsen et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional in Major Depressive Disorder and Obesity (n=525). Major depressive disorder vs. No major depressive disorder was evaluated on Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (p=<0.05). Participants with major depressive disorder exhibited significantly higher hemoglobin A1c levels than those without the disorder (5.60% vs. 5.35%), an effect particularly pronounced in obese women.
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