Serum cholesterol concentration and death from suicide in men: Paris prospective study I.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether low serum cholesterol concentration or changing serum cholesterol concentration is associated with risk of suicide in men.


METHODS
Cohort study with annual repeat measurements of serum cholesterol concentration (for up to four years).


METHODS
Paris, France.


METHODS
6393 working men, aged 43-52 in 1967-72, who had at least three measurements of serum cholesterol concentration.


METHODS
Individual change over time in serum cholesterol concentration (estimated using within person linear regression method); death from suicide during average of 17 years' follow up after last examination.


RESULTS
32 men committed suicide during follow up. After adjustment for age and other factors, relative risk of suicide for men with low average serum cholesterol concentration (< 4.78 mmol/l) compared with those with average serum cholesterol concentration of 4.78-6.21 mmol/l was 3.16 (95% confidence interval 1.38 to 7.22, P = 0.007). Men whose serum cholesterol concentration decreased by more than 0.13 mmol/l a year had multivariate adjusted relative risk of 2.17 (0.97 to 4.84, P = 0.056) compared with those whose cholesterol remained stable (change of < or = 0.13 mmol/l a year).


CONCLUSIONS
Both low serum cholesterol concentration and declining cholesterol concentration were associated with increased risk of death from suicide in men. Although there is some evidence in favour of a concomitant rather than a causal effect for interpreting these associations, long term surveillance of subjects included in trials of lipid lowering treatments seems warranted.
Zureik
M
M
National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Unit 258, Hôpital Broussais, Paris, France.
Courbon
D
D
Ducimetière
P
P
D000328:Adult; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010297:Paris / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D002784:Cholesterol