Association between total serum cholesterol and depression, aggression, and suicidal ideations in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a cross-sectional study

Vilibić, Maja and Jukić, Vlado and Pandžić-Sakoman, Mirna and Bilić, Petar and Milošević, Milan (2014) Association between total serum cholesterol and depression, aggression, and suicidal ideations in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a cross-sectional study. Croatian Medical Journal, 55 (5). pp. 520-529. ISSN 0353-9504

PDF - Published Version Download (171kB)

Abstract

AIM To investigate the relationship between total serum cholesterol and levels of depression, aggression, and suicidal ideations in war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) without psychiatric comorbidity. ----- METHODS A total of 203 male PTSD outpatients were assessed for the presence of depression, aggression, and suicidality using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17), Corrigan Agitated Behavior Scale (CABS), and Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI), respectively, followed by plasma lipid parameters determination (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein [HDL]-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein [LDL]-cholesterol, and triglycerides). PTSD severity was assessed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV, Current and Lifetime Diagnostic Version (CAPS-DX) and the Clinical Global Impressions of Severity Scale (CGI-S), before which Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was administered to exclude psychiatric comorbidity and premorbidity. ----- RESULTS After adjustments for PTSD severity, age, body mass index, marital status, educational level, employment status, use of particular antidepressants, and other lipid parameters (LDL- and HDL- cholesterol and triglycerides), higher total cholesterol was significantly associated with lower odds for having higher suicidal ideation (SSI≥20) (odds ratio [OR] 0.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-0.23], clinically significant aggression (CABS≥22) (OR 0.28; 95% CI 0.14-0.59), and at least moderate depressive symptoms (HAM-D17≥17) (OR 0.20; 95% CI 0.08-0.48). Association of total cholesterol and HAM-D17 scores was significantly moderated by the severity of PTSD symptoms (P<0.001). ----- CONCLUSION Our results indicate that higher total serum cholesterol is associated with lower scores on HAM-D17, CABS, and SSI in patients with chronic PTSD.

Abstract in Croatian

Povezanost između ukupnog serumskog kolesterola i depresije, agresije te suicidalnih ideacija kod ratnih veterana s posttraumatskim stresnim poremećajem: presječno istraživanje ----- Cilj: Istražiti odnos između ukupnog serumskog kolesterola i depresije, agresije te suicidalnih ideacija kod ratnih veterana s posttraumatskim stresnim poremećajem (PTSP) bez psihijatrijskog komorbiditeta. ----- Postupci: Ispitali smo prisutnost depresije, agresije te suicidalnih ideacija kod 203 muška pacijenta s PTSP-om koristeći Hamiltonovu ljestvicu depresije od 17 čestica (eng, 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, HAM-D17), Corriganovu ljestvicu agitiranog ponašanja (eng, Corrigan Agitated Behavior Scale, CABS), odnosno Ljestvicu suicidalnih ideacija (eng, Scale for Suicide Ideation, SSI) te smo odredili lipide u plazmi (ukupni kolesterol, lipoprotein-kolesterol visoke gustoće, lipoprotein-kolesterol niske gustoće, i trigliceride). Jačina PTSP-a određena je Kliničkom ljestvicom za PTSP, trenutnom i cjeloživotnom dijagnostičkom verzijom (eng, Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV Current and Lifetime Diagnostic Version, eng. CAPS-DX) i Ljestvicom općih kliničkih dojmova o težini bolesti (Clinical Global Impressions of Severity Scale, CGI-S), prije kojih je korišten Mini međunarodni neuropsihijatrijski intervju (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Intervju, MINI) kako bismo isključili psihijatrijski komorbiditet i premorbiditet. ----- Rezultati: Nakon prilagodbe za jačinu PTSP-a, dob, indeks tjelesne mase, bračni status, razinu obrazovanja, zaposlenost, uporabu određenih antidepresiva i ostale lipidne parametre (lipoprotein-kolesterol visoke i niske gustoće, kolesterol i trigliceride), viši ukupni kolesterol bio je značajno povezan s nižim izgledima više suicidalne ideacije (SSI≥20) (omjer izgleda [eng, odds ratio OR] 0,09; 95% raspon pouzdanosti [eng, confidence interval CI] 0,03-0,23], klinički značajnom agresijom (CABS≥22) (OR 0,28; 95% CI 0,14-0,59) i najmanje umjerenim depresivnim simptomima (HAM-D17 ≥17) (OR 0,20; 95% CI 0,08-0,48). Povezanost ukupnog kolesterola i HAM-D17 rezultat bili su značajno moderirani jačinom simptoma PTSP-a (P<0,001). ----- Zaključak: Naši rezultati ukazuju da je viša ukupna razina kolesterola povezana s nižim izračunom HAM-D17, CABS, i SSI ljestvica kod pacijenata s kroničnim PTSP-om.

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads