Serum lipid levels and suicide attempts.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a correlation exists between lower serum lipid concentrations and increased suicide risk.


METHODS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Lee
Heon-Jeong
HJ
Department of Psychiatry, Korea University, College of Medicine, Ansan City, Korea.
Kim
Yong-Ku
YK
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*
D008055:Lipids