title: Associations of polyunsaturated fatty acids with residual depression or anxiety in older people with major depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression in late life often follows a chronic course with residual depressive and anxiety symptoms. Levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been found to be depleted in people with major depression in the acute stage. Additionally, lower omega-3 PUFA levels have been suggested to be associated with anxiety. The aim of this study was to investigate whether PUFAs levels (omega-3 or omega-6) are correlated with residual depressive or anxiety symptoms in older people with previous depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants aged 60 years or over with previous major depression in remission were enrolled from outpatient psychiatric services of four hospitals. Participants with residual depressive symptoms were defined as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores>5, and those with anxiety were defined as sum of scores for the two anxiety subscale of HDRS≧2. The levels of fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes and in plasma were measured separately by gas chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and thirty two older people with previous major depression (mean age of 68 years, range 60-86 years) were analyzed. Erythrocyte membrane linoleic acid levels had a curvilinear association with depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Plasma linoleic acid levels were found to have a negative linear relationship with depressive symptoms. No significant associations were found between any omega-3 fatty acid level and depressive or anxiety symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Linoleic acid levels may be a possible biomarker for residual depression and anxiety in older people with previous depression. Possible clinical applications need further investigation.
authors: King's College London, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, School of Medicine, London, UK.
authors: Ayesha
authors: A
authors: Jadoon
authors: Chih-Chiang
authors: CC
authors: Chiu
authors: Lindsay
authors: L
authors: McDermott
authors: Phil
authors: P
authors: Cunningham
authors: Sophia
authors: S
authors: Frangou
authors: Ching-Jui
authors: CJ
authors: Chang
authors: I-Wen
authors: IW
authors: Sun
authors: Shen-Ing
authors: SI
authors: Liu
authors: Mong-Liang
authors: ML
authors: Lu
authors: Kuan-Pin
authors: KP
authors: Su
authors: Shih-Yi
authors: SY
authors: Huang
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D019787:Linoleic Acid