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Depressive mood accompanies hypercholesterolemia in young Japanese adults
1Teikyo University Center for Evidence-Based Medicine and Department of Hygiene and Public Health, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Young students with persistent high cholesterol showed higher depression scores and were more often female. This suggests mood assessment may aid in screening for hypercholesterolemia in young adults.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Young individuals with hypercholesterolemia face increased risk of atherosclerotic diseases.
- Temporary elevations in serum cholesterol can be influenced by psychological factors like stress.
- Early identification and management of hypercholesterolemia in youth are crucial for long-term cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between mood states and persistent versus temporary hypercholesterolemia in university students.
- To determine if psychological factors contribute to sustained high cholesterol levels in young adults.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 114 first-year university students (aged 18-20) initially screened positive for hypercholesterolemia (> or = 220 mg/dl).
- Subjects were categorized into persistent (>220 mg/dl) and temporary (<220 mg/dl) hypercholesterolemia groups after three months.
- The Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire was administered to assess mood states, including depression, anxiety, and anger.
Main Results:
- Persistent hypercholesterolemia was associated with significantly higher POMS depression scores (p<0.01) and a higher female ratio (p<0.01).
- Lower body mass index (p<0.05) was also observed in the persistent group.
- Multiple logistic regression confirmed that higher POMS depression scores independently correlated with persistent hypercholesterolemia, even after controlling for covariates.
Conclusions:
- Depressive mood states appear to be linked to persistent hypercholesterolemia in young university students.
- Mood state assessment may be a valuable adjunct in screening and managing young individuals with hypercholesterolemia.
- Further research is warranted to explore the causal relationship and potential interventions targeting mood in hypercholesterolemic youth.
Abstract:
Screening of young hypercholesterolemics is important because they are highly susceptible to atherosclerotic diseases. However, in some cases, serum cholesterol level may be elevated temporarily due to stress or other psychological factors. This study examined the effects of mood states on 'persistent' hypercholesterolemia in comparison with 'temporary' hypercholesterolemia among students entering a university. The subjects were 114 untreated first-year students aged 18 to 20 years old. All had been screened positive for hypercholesterolemia (serum total cholesterol > or = 220 mg/dl) upon enrolling in the university. Three months after the screening, they were divided into two groups according to the re-examined serum total cholesterol level; a persistent hypercholesterolemic group (n=41) with >220 mg/dl and a temporary hypercholesterolemic group (n=73) with <220 mg/dl. At that time, they completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) with tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, vigor, fatigue and confusion scales. The POMS depression scores and the female ratio were higher (both p<0.01) and body mass index was lower (p<0.05) in the persistent hypercholesterolemic subjects than in the temporary hypercholesterolemic subjects; the POMS depression scores were still higher (p<0.05) after controlling for the effects of gender, body mass index, and other POMS scales by multiple logistic regression analysis. Depressive mood appeared to relate to hypercholesterolemia when the university students were screened. Assessment of mood states may be important in screening young hypercholesterolemic patients.