Hypercortisolemic depression in postmenopausal women was associated with greater visceral fat depots at L1 compared to normocortisolemic depression (113.0 vs 74.5 cm2; p=0.04).
Case-Control (n=45)
Is hypercortisolemia in postmenopausal women with major depression associated with increased intra-abdominal fat and insulin resistance?
Hypercortisolemia in depressed postmenopausal women is associated with increased visceral fat and insulin resistance, potentially explaining the increased cardiovascular risk in major depression.
p-value: p=0.04
OBJECTIVE: Similar to patients with a metabolic syndrome, patients with major depression are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disorders. Interestingly, both disorders share a specific endocrine syndrome that promotes the accumulation of visceral fat, which again is considered a marker of increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. METHODS: Intra-abdominal fat was measured in 22 postmenopausal depressed women and 23 age-matched healthy women by computer tomography at the level of lumbar vertebrae 1 (L1) and 4 (L4). Saliva was taken in patients and control subjects at 08:00 hours over a period of 7 drug-free days for the measurement of free cortisol. In patients only we performed an oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS: Compared with control subjects, depressed patients with elevated free cortisol concentrations showed similar visceral fat depots at L1 (113.0 +/- 41.6 vs. 94.3 +/- 53.2 cm(2)). Hypercortisolemic depressed patients also showed greater fat depots in this area (74.5 +/- 55.5 cm(2), p =.04) than the normocortisolemic patients. However, a comparison of all patients with control subjects revealed no difference in fat accumulation at either L1 or L4. Finally, glucose concentrations during the glucose tolerance test were higher in hypercortisolemic than in normocortisolemic patients, whereas their insulin levels showed only a tendency toward being increased. CONCLUSIONS: Hypercortisolemic depressed patients suffer from resistance to insulin and increased visceral fat. The fact that hypercortisolemia reverses depression-related fat loss, particularly in the visceral area, might partially explain why major depression can be considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders.
Weber-Hamann et al. (Fri,) conducted a case-control in Major depression (n=45). Hypercortisolemic depression vs. Normocortisolemic depression and healthy controls was evaluated on Intra-abdominal fat at L1 and L4 (p=0.04). Hypercortisolemic depression in postmenopausal women was associated with greater visceral fat depots at L1 compared to normocortisolemic depression (113.0 vs 74.5 cm2; p=0.04).