Role of shared genetic and environmental factors in symptoms of depression and body composition.
BACKGROUND
Both obesity and lean mass have been correlated with symptoms of depression.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the co-occurrence of obesity and lean mass with symptoms of depression.


METHODS
Individuals were 2383 participants of the Erasmus Rucphen Family study. Symptoms of depression were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Anthropometric and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry total body scans were obtained for the assessment of body composition. The role of shared genetic and shared environmental factors was quantified by estimating genetic and environmental correlations between symptoms of depression and measures of body composition.


RESULTS
Phenotypic correlations between body composition and symptoms of depression ranged from -0.08 to 0.08. Heritability estimates for body composition ranged from 0.40 to 0.46 (P<0.001) in women and from 0.35 to 0.51 (P<0.001) in men, and heritability estimates for depression scores were higher in women (0.34 and 0.37) than in men (0.13 and 0.21). No consistent genetic correlations between measures of body composition and symptoms of depression were found. We did find a significant consistent environmental correlation between depression scores and lean mass index (environmental correlation=-0.23 for Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and -0.31 for Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale).


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, there is no evidence that the co-occurrence of symptoms of depression and body composition result from a common genetic pathway.
Choy
Wing Chi
WC
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
López-León
Sandra
S
Aulchenko
Yurii S
YS
Mackenbach
Johan P
JP
Oostra
Ben A
BA
van Duijn
Cornelia M
CM
Janssens
A Cecile J W
AC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001823:Body Composition / Q000235:genetics*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D040582:Inheritance Patterns / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype
D000928:Antidepressive Agents