Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:39:04.163Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Association of low serum total cholesterol with major depression and suicide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

T. Partonen ,
J. Haukka ,
J. Virtamo ,
P. R. Taylor  and
J. Lönnqvist
T. Partonen*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland
J. Haukka
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland
J. Virtamo
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland
P. R. Taylor
Affiliation:
Division of Clinical Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MQ USA
J. Lönnqvist
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland
*
Dr T. Partonen, National Public Health Institute, Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300 Helsinki, Finland. Tel: +358 9 47448213; Fax: +358 9 47448478; e-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

It has been suggested that low serum total cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of suicide.

Aims

To study the association between serum total cholesterol, depression and suicide using versatile, prospective data.

Method

A total of 29 133 men aged 50–69 years were followed up for 5–8 years. Baseline blood samples were analysed for serum total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. Self-reported depression was recorded, data on hospital treatments due to depressive disorders were derived from the National Hospital Discharge Register and deaths from suicide were identified from death certificates.

Results

Low serum total cholesterol was associated with low mood and subsequently a heightened risk of hospital treatment due to major depressive disorder and of death from suicide.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that low serum total cholesterol appears to be associated with low mood and thus to predict its serious consequences.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 175 , Issue 3 , September 1999 , pp. 259 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1997) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn. revised) (DSM–III–R). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
ATBC Cancer Prevention Study Group (1994) The alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene lung cancer prevention study: design, methods, participant characteristics, and compliance. Annals of Epidemiology, 4, 1–10.Google Scholar
Boston, P. F., Dursun, S. M. & Reveley, M. A. (1996) Cholesterol and mental disorder, British Journal of Psychiatry, 169, 682–689.Google Scholar
Engelberg, K. (1992) Low serum cholesterol and suicide, Lancet, 339, 727–729.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gallerani, M., Manfredini, R., Caracciolo, S., et al (1995) Serum cholesterol concentrations in parasuicide. British Medical Journal, 310, 1632–1636.Google Scholar
Harris, E. C. & Barraclough, B. (1997) Suicide as an outcome for mental disorders. A meta-analysis, British Journal of Psychiatry 170, 205–228.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keskimäki, I. & Aro, S. (1991) Accuracy of data on diagnoses, procedures and accidents in the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register. International Journal of Health Sciences, 2, 15–21.Google Scholar
Law, M. R., Thompson, S. G. & Wald, N. J. (1994) Assessing possible hazards of reducing serum cholesterol, British Medical Journal, 308, 373–379.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pletinen, P., Hartman, A. M., Haapa, E., et al (1988) Reproducibility and validity of dietary assessment instruments. I. A self-administered food use questionnaire with a portion size picture booklet. American Journal of Epidemiology, 128, 655–666.Google Scholar
Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study Group (1994) Randomised trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444 patients with coronary heart disease: the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S). Lancet, 344, 1383–1389.Google Scholar
Shepherd, J., Cobbe, S. M., Ford, I., et al for the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study Group (1995) Prevention of coronary heart disease with pravastatin in men with hypercholesterolemia. New England Journal of Medicine, 333, 1301–1307.Google Scholar
Steegmans, P. H. A., Fekkes, D., Hoes, A. W., et al (1996) Low serum cholesterol concentration and serotonin metabolism in men. British Medical Journal, 312, 221.Google Scholar
Whooley, M. A., Avins, A. L., Miranda, J., et al (1997) Case-finding instruments lor depression: two questions are as good as many . Journal of General and Internal Medicine, 12, 439–445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization (1968) Eighth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD–8). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Zureik, M., Courbon, D. & Ducimetière, P. (1996) Serum cholesterol concentration and death from suicide in men: Paris prospective study I. British Medical Journal, 311, 649–651.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.