Inflammatory burden index is correlated with increased depression: a population-based study

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Public health
• Inflammation and disease

Background:

• Depression is closely linked to systemic inflammation.
• The Inflammatory Burden Index (IBI) is a novel metric for assessing systemic inflammation.
• Understanding the relationship between inflammation and depression is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between the Inflammatory Burden Index (IBI) and depression in the general population.
• To analyze the association using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing NHANES data (1999-2018).
• IBI calculated as C-reactive protein × neutrophils/lymphocytes.
• Multivariate logistic regression, RCS, and sensitivity analyses were performed.

Main Results:

• A total of 14,557 subjects were analyzed, with 8.5% experiencing depression.
• A significant linear positive correlation was found between IBI and depression (OR=1.03, P=0.007).
• Higher IBI tertiles were associated with increased depression prevalence, consistent across subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions:

• The Inflammatory Burden Index (IBI) shows a positive correlation with depression in American adults.
• These findings suggest a potential role for systemic inflammation in the pathophysiology of depression.
• Further large-scale prospective studies are warranted to confirm these results and explore IBI's role in depression.