How is metabolic profile linked to psychiatric disorders? Study provides insights
Overview
According to a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, biomarkers of lipid, apolipoprotein, and carbohydrate metabolism have been suggested to be associated with the risk for depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders, but results are inconsistent.
Depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders affect around one-third of individuals. Research suggests that metabolic dysregulation, including lipid and glucose abnormalities, may contribute to their development by triggering inflammation. This inflammation, involving immune cells and cytokines, is associated with these disorders.
The study analysed data from 2,11,200 participants aged 16 years and older from the AMORIS cohort. Participants included healthy individuals undergoing routine health screenings in the workplace and those with health conditions referred for testing by physicians. They were free of mental disorders at baseline and had at least one measurement for the biomarkers studied.
The results showed that during a mean follow-up time of 21 years, a total of 16,256 participants were diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or stress-related disorders. Among these, 9,725 were diagnosed with depression, 7,582 were diagnosed with anxiety, and 4,833 were diagnosed with stress-related disorders. A total of 3,128 participants were diagnosed with both depression and anxiety, whereas less than 1% were diagnosed with both depression and stress-related disorders or with both anxiety and stress-related disorders. Only 984 participants had received all 3 diagnoses.
The findings suggested that compared with low or normal levels, high levels of glucose and TGs were associated with a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders, whereas a high level of HDL-C was associated with a lower risk. In addition, these biomarkers showed different levels between individuals who developed depression, anxiety, or stress-related disorders and those not developing such during many years before diagnosis.
Reference: Charilaos Chourpiliadis, MD; Yu Zeng, MSc; Anikó Lovik, PhD; et al; Metabolic Profile and Long-Term Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress-Related Disorders; Journal: JAMA Network Open; doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4525
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