Low serum HDL-cholesterol levels are associated with long symptom duration in patients with major depressive disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the association between depression and the serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is modified by symptom duration.


METHODS
Depressed patients (n = 88) and an age- and sex-matched group of healthy general population controls (n = 88) underwent a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), and depressed participants reported the duration of their symptoms. The serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and non-HDL, and the ratios of LDL-C/HDL and TC/HDL-C were assessed.


RESULTS
Major depressive disorder (MDD) subjects with a long symptom duration (>or=3 years) had lower levels of HDL-C compared with healthy controls or MDD subjects with a symptom duration <3 years. The likelihood for long symptom duration doubled for each 0.5-mmol/L decrease in HDL-C levels in regression models adjusted for age, gender, marital status, overweight, symptom severity, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical exercise, medication use, and non-HDL-C (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that a low serum HDL-C level, a risk factor for coronary heart disease, is specifically associated with long-term depressive symptomatology.
Lehto
Soili M
SM
Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, PO Box 1777, FIN-70210 Kuopio, Finland. soili.lehto@kuh.fi
Niskanen
Leo
L
Tolmunen
Tommi
T
Hintikka
Jukka
J
Viinamäki
Heimo
H
Heiskanen
Tuula
T
Honkalampi
Kirsi
K
Kokkonen
Marja
M
Koivumaa-Honkanen
Heli
H
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol