title: Surrogate markers of visceral fat and response to anti-depressive treatment in patients with major depressive disorder: a prospective exploratory analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body mass index (BMI) and body weight have been shown to be associated to treatment outcome in patients with major depressive disorder, but this relationship is not clear. Visceral fat might be an underlying mechanism explaining this relationship.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate whether visceral fat, as measured by hip-to-waist ratio and waist circumference, affects treatment outcome in patients with major depressive disorder in patients attending a hospital psychiatric care unit in Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted as an observational prospective study including 33 patients with major depressive disorder. Assessments were made at enrolment and after 8 weeks. Primary variables were hip-to-waist ratio and waist circumference. Outcome were remission or response of depressive symptoms measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17) interviews and HAM-D6self-rating questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were found in outcome between groups of patients with high vs low visceral fat in this population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of association was evident for all surrogate markers of visceral fat, and suggests that visceral fat has no impact on outcomes of depressive symptoms. However, study limitations might have contributed to this lack of association, especially sample size and considerable variations on multiple parameters including treatment received during the 8 weeks of follow-up.
authors.affiliation: a Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Center North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital , Hillerød , Denmark.
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tønning
authors.affiliation: a Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Center North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital , Hillerød , Denmark.
authors.forename: Dorthe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: a Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Center North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital , Hillerød , Denmark.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steglich-Petersen
authors.affiliation: a Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Center North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital , Hillerød , Denmark.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Csillag
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D015897:Comorbidity; D003718:Denmark; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Visceral fat; depression; obesity; outcome