Key result
Lower total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were significantly associated with recent suicide attempts compared to non-suicidal and normal controls (P<0.01 and P<0.05).
Why the study?
Are lower serum lipid concentrations associated with increased suicide risk and attempt severity?
Case-Control (n=180)
Are lower serum lipid concentrations associated with increased suicide risk and attempt severity?
p-value: p=<0.01
Lower total serum cholesterol and LDL levels are associated with recent suicide attempts and suicide attempt severity, suggesting low lipid metabolism may be a biological marker for suicide risk.
Low cholesterol may mark higher suicide attempt risk in psychiatric patients; hypothesis-generating from case-control data and requires prospective validation.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a correlation exists between lower serum lipid concentrations and increased suicide risk. METHOD: Serum lipid profiles were pair-matched for 60 patients who had recently experienced failed attempts at suicide and equal numbers of non-suicidal psychiatric patients, and normal controls. Suicide attempt severity was scored using Weisman and Worden's risk-rescue rating scale. RESULTS: (a). Total serum cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels were found to be lower in the parasuicidal population at statistically significant levels (P < 0.01 and <0.05, respectively); (b). triglyceride concentrations were lower in suicide attempters with major depression compared with non-suicidal depressed patients; and (c). risk-rescue rating scores were negatively correlated with total serum cholesterol levels (r = -0.347, P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Low lipid metabolism may be a potential biological marker in the assessment of suicide risk. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate the biological mechanisms of these findings.
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Lee et al. (2003) conducted a case-control in Suicide attempts (n=180). Lower serum lipid concentrations vs. Non-suicidal psychiatric patients and normal controls was evaluated on Total serum cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels (p=<0.01). Lower total serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were significantly associated with recent suicide attempts compared to non-suicidal and normal controls (P<0.01 and P<0.05).
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