title: The association between depression and leptin is mediated by adiposity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Animal models suggest that impaired leptin production, or leptin resistance despite increased leptin levels, may contribute to depression. The link between leptin and depression could be mediated by obesity, which is more common in depression and increases leptin production.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to 537 participants (mean [standard deviation (SD)] age = 51 [9] years; female, 61%) enrolled in the Morehouse and Emory Team up to Eliminate Health Disparities (META-Health) study. Leptin levels were examined as continuous log-transformed values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with moderate to severe depression had higher levels of leptin (median [interquartile range] 37.7 [17.6-64.9] ng/mL) than those with mild depression (22.9 [7.0-57.9] ng/mL) or minimal to no depression (19.8 ng/mL [7.8-39.1], p = .003). Participants with moderate to severe depression had higher body mass index (BMI) than those with mild or minimal depression (mean [SD] = 33 [8] versus 31 [9] versus 29 [7] kg/m(2), p = .001). After multivariate adjustment for age, sex, race, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, blood pressure, lipids, and C-reactive protein, the BDI-II score remained a significant predictor of leptin levels (β = 0.093, p = .01). Further adjustment for BMI eliminated the association between the BDI-II score and leptin (β = 0.03, p = .3). Adjusting for waist circumference in place of BMI revealed similar findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between depression and leptin seems to be mediated by increased adiposity in depressed individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. aamorr3@emory.edu
authors.forename: Alanna A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Neli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stoyanova
authors.forename: William Craig
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Staerke
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Arshed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quyyumi
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vaccarino
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin