Metabolic syndrome abnormalities are associated with severity of anxiety and depression and with tricyclic antidepressant use.
OBJECTIVE
The metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) predisposes to cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. There might also be an association between the MetSyn and anxiety and depression, but its nature is unclear. We aimed to investigate whether diagnosis, symptom severity and antidepressant use are associated with the MetSyn.


METHODS
We addressed the odds for the MetSyn and its components among 1217 depressed and/or anxious subjects and 629 controls, and their associations with symptom severity and antidepressant use.


RESULTS
Symptom severity was positively associated with prevalence of the MetSyn, [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.21 for very severe depression: 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-4.64, P = 0.04], which could be attributed to abdominal obesity and dyslipidemia. Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) use also increased odds for the MetSyn (OR 2.30, 95% CI: 1.21-4.36, P = 0.01), independent of depression severity.


CONCLUSIONS
The most severely depressed people and TCA users more often have the MetSyn, which is driven by abdominal adiposity and dyslipidemia.
van Reedt Dortland
A K B
AK
Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands. akbvanreedtdortland@lumc.nl <akbvanreedtdortland@lumc.nl>
Giltay
E J
EJ
van Veen
T
T
Zitman
F G
FG
Penninx
B W J H
BW
D000328:Adult; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic