title: Lipid correlates of attentional impulsivity in first episode mania: results from an Indian population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Attentional/cognitive impulsivity has been demonstrated as being associated with an increased risk for suicide and other self-harming behaviors, along with a more severe course in patients with bipolar disorder. That an alteration of the various serum lipid fractions might be associated with increased impulsivity has been proposed in the past, but evidences are ambiguous and mainly based on western population data.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was aimed to analyze the attentional impulsivity and various serum lipid fractions in bipolar patients, from an Indian perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  At presentation, 60 drug free/naïve first episode Mania patients were rated on the Barratt impulsiveness scale-version 11 and Young Mania Rating Scale; body mass index (BMI) was calculated and blood samples were analyzed for total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), triglycerides (TG) and apolipoproteins A1 and B.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis revealed statistically significant negative correlation and inverse linear relationship between TC, TG, VLDL and BMI with attentional impulsivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study adds to the growing literature on a complex relationship between lipid fractions and attentional impulsivity. The findings present interesting insights into the possible substrates of human behavior at biochemical levels. The implications are many, including a need to introspect regarding the promotion of weight loss and cholesterol reduction programs in constitutionally vulnerable population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
authors.forename: Anjana Rao
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kavoor
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
authors.forename: Daya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
authors.forename: Sayantanava
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitra
keywords: Attentional impulsivity; bipolar; body mass index; lipid