The following is a summary of “Association between dyslipidemia and depression: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data from 2007 to 2018,” published in the December 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Zhong et al. 

The relationship between depression and dyslipidemia is unclear, with studies showing mixed results.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate the association between blood lipid levels and depression using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2007 to 2018.  

They included 12,819 adult participants from NHANES and assessed depression using a 9-item screening instrument. Serum lipid levels of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) were measured with Roche modular P and Cobas 6000 analyzers. Survey-weighted multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationships between lipid levels and depression. 

The results showed a significant negative association between HDL-C levels and depression (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.58–0.90). After adjustments, HDL-C, TG, and triglyceride glucose (TyG) index were significantly associated with depression (ORs: 0.66, 1.08, and 1.01, respectively). A linear correlation was observed between HDL-C and depression (P < 0.01), while TG and TyG showed nonlinear associations (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). No significant associations were found between TC or LDL-C levels and depression. 

They found that high HDL-C levels were negatively associated with depression, while TG levels and the TyG index were positively associated. Clinical attention to lipid levels in patients with depression was recommended. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06359-x#Abs1