Metabolic Syndrome May Be Risk Factor for Depression

A cluster of heart disease and diabetes risk factors called metabolic syndrome may be a risk factor for depression, say Finnish researchers.

Dr. Hannu Koponen of Kuopio University in Kuopio, Finland and colleagues followed a group of middle-aged men and women for seven years. At the start of the study, the participants were given the Beck Depression Inventory and assessed for metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by high cholesterol, high triglycericides, low HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar, high blood pressure and excess belly fat.

When the patients were followed up seven years later, those with metabolic syndrome were twice as likely as those without metabolic syndrome to be depressed.

The rising incidence of metabolic syndrome may lead to a corresponding rise in depression, the researchers speculate, while effective measures to prevent and treat metabolic syndrome could reduce the associated depression.

The study was published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.