Key result
Lower total serum cholesterol levels were associated with higher depressive symptom scores, male gender, and lower age in hospitalized depressed patients.
Why the study?
Is there an association between total serum cholesterol and psychological distress in hospitalized depressed patients?
Cross-Sectional (n=186)
Is there an association between total serum cholesterol and psychological distress in hospitalized depressed patients?
In hospitalized depressed patients, lower serum cholesterol levels are associated with greater severity of depressive symptoms.
Does not support cholesterol monitoring in depression; leaves open causality and requires longitudinal studies.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between total serum cholesterol and various psychosocial variables in depressed in-patients. METHOD: One hundred and eighty-six patients had their total fasting serum cholesterol assessed following admission; psychiatric diagnoses were obtained with the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID) interview. Psychopathology was measured with a clinician rated scale [Montgomery and Asberg Depressive Rating Scale (MADRS)] and a self-rating scale [Symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90)]. RESULTS: Univariate analyses showed lower total serum cholesterol levels being correlated with higher scores in several psychopathological areas. Multivariate analyses indicated that male gender, lower age and higher MADRS scores were the most predictive variables for lower cholesterol levels. CONCLUSION: The data suggest, in this depressed population, an association between serum cholesterol and depressive symptoms. What is the cause and what is its effect is not possible to say from this cross-sectional study.
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Borgherini et al. (2002) conducted a cross-sectional in Depression (n=186). Total serum cholesterol was evaluated on Psychopathological scores (MADRS and SCL-90). Lower total serum cholesterol levels were associated with higher depressive symptom scores, male gender, and lower age in hospitalized depressed patients.