title: A controlled study of serum lipid profiles in Indian patients with depressive episode.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lower levels of circulating lipid fractions and cholesterol are risk factors for impulsivity and depressive disorder. A lower level of serum cholesterol is also associated with patients presenting with history of self-harm.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 30 depressive patients and 30 healthy matched control subjects were recruited from the department of Psychiatry of a tertiary care hospital. We measured serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels of both patient and control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum TC and LDL-cholesterol levels were found to be significantly lower in study group than that of control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower levels of serum cholesterol are associated with depressive disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Bichitra Nanda
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Patra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sudhir K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Khandelwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rakesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Chadda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Lakshmy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramakrishnan
keywords: Body mass-index; depression; self-harm; serum cholesterol; serum lipid profiles; suicide