Lipid profiles in major depression, both with and without metabolic syndrome: associations with suicidal behaviors and neuroticism.

Marta Kubera, Abbas F Almulla, Asara Vasupanrajit, Chavit Tunvirachaisakul, Michael Maes, Ketsupar Jirakran

Journal: BMC psychiatry 2025;25(1):379

PMID: 40234788

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Abstract

BACKGROUND

Significant associations exist between major depressive disorder (MDD), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and cardiovascular disease, potentially attributable to heightened atherogenicity. This study aimed to ascertain if MDD, depression severity, suicidal behaviors, and neuroticism associate with elevated pro-atherogenic indices and reduced anti-atherogenic indices, including a reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) index.

METHODS

This study comprised 34 healthy controls and 33 MDD patients without MetS, and 35 controls and 31 MDD patients with MetS. It assessed total cholesterol (TC) and free cholesterol (FC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), triglycerides (TG), apolipoprotein (ApoA), ApoB, cholesterol esterification rate, and a RCT composite.

RESULTS

No significant associations between MDD and lipids were seen in the total study group that combined individuals with and without MetS. In individuals devoid of MetS, MDD is significantly correlated with (a) elevated FC, TG, ApoB, Castelli risk index 1, and ApoB/ApoA, and (b) diminished HDLc, ApoA, and RCT index. In individuals without MetS, there are notable correlations between the severity of depression, suicidal tendencies, neuroticism, and ApoB/ApoA, Castelli risk, and RCT indices.

CONCLUSIONS

The link between lipids and MDD features cannot be adequately estimated by combining participants with and without MetS. It should be examined in a study sample that excludes subjects with MetS. The depression phenome, suicidal behaviors, and neuroticism correlate with diminished RCT and heightened atherogenicity, which are likely implicated in the pathophysiology of MDD. Increased atherogenicity and lowered RCT may represent novel drug targets for the treatment and prevention of MDD, neuroticism, and suicidal behaviors.

Address: School of Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China.; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, China.; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the, Thai Red Cross Societyaq , Bangkok, Thailand.; Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Center of Excellence for Maximizing Children's Developmental Potential, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the, Thai Red Cross Societyaq , Bangkok, Thailand.; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the, Thai Red Cross Societyaq , Bangkok, Thailand. [email protected].; Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. [email protected].; School of Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China.; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, China.; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the, Thai Red Cross Societyaq , Bangkok, Thailand.; Medical Laboratory Technology Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq.; Department of Experimental Neuroendocrinology, Laboratory of Immunoendocrinology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Smetna 12, Krakow, 31-343, Poland.; School of Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, China. [email protected].; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, China. [email protected].; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the, Thai Red Cross Societyaq , Bangkok, Thailand. [email protected].; Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. [email protected].; Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. [email protected].; Research Center, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. [email protected].; Research and Innovation Program for the Development of MU - PLOVDIV- (SRIPD-MUP), Creation of a network of research higher schools, National plan for recovery and sustainability, European Union - NextGeneration, EU, Maastricht, Netherlands. [email protected].; Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-Ro, Dongdaemun-Gu, Seoul, 02447, Korea. [email protected].

DOI: 10.1186/s12888-025-06734-2

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MeSH Terms: Humans, Depressive Disorder, Major, Female, Male, Neuroticism, Metabolic Syndrome, Adult, Middle Aged, Lipids, Anxiety Disorders, Suicide, Suicidal Ideation, Case-Control Studies, Cholesterol