Cholesterol levels in panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and major depression

Abstract

-Serum plasma total cholesterol levels were measured in 85 male or female outpatients with panic disorder (PD; N=41), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; N=23) and major depression (MD; N=21) according to DSM-IV criteria. All the patients had a mean cholesterol level within the normal range; males (N=22) and females (N=63) had approximately the same serum cholesterol levels (p > .05). No significant differences in cholesterol levels emerged between PD, GAD and MD patient groups. Both female PD and female GAD subjects had a mean cholesterol level similar to their male counterparts (p>.05). It is concluded that both Hayward and colleagues and Bajwa et al. findings could not be replicated by our study.KEY WORDS: cholesterol, generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, panic disorder. In a study carried out by Coryell et al. 1 , male patients with panic disorder (PD) exhibited excess mortality due to unnatural causes and to circulatory system disease as compared to age-and gender-specific general population figures. Similar results were reported in a 12-year follow-up of 115 outpatients with "anxiety neurosis". Again men had an excess in death which was attributed to cardiovascular disease and suicide 2 . Níveis de colesterol no transtorno de pânico, transtorno de ansiedade generalizada e depressão maior RESUMO -Nesse et al 3 found that patients with PD had an increased adrenergic function (elevated resting heart rate, elevated levels of plasma epinephrine, cortisol and growth hormone, and mildly elevated plasma norepinephrine levels) even in the absence of panic attacks. Dimsdale and Herd 4 , reviewed 60 studies relating plasma lipids and emotional arousal. Most of these studies reported that cholesterol increased from 8 to 65% above baseline under stressful conditions. PD and anxious patients, at least when they are ill, have lower threshold for stimuli (environmental, emotional, etc.).

Serum Cholesterol and Cognitive Performance in the Framingham Heart Study

“…Low TC has been associated with depressed mood and clinical depression (39,40), although not all studies report this relationship (41)(42)(43). Nonetheless, depression has been linked to both dementia and cognitive decline (44), including poorer performance on tasks requiring executive functioning and verbal and nonverbal memory (45).…”

Sleep‐related violence and low serum cholesterol: A preliminary study

“…The relationship between serum cholesterol and psychiatric disorders had been the focus of several studies in recent decades. An association between high cholesterol levels and anxiety disorders, in particular panic disorder, had been demonstrated in recent years 6–9 . In contrast, a low cholesterol level was found in patients with major depression or suicidal behavior 10–17 …”

Relationship Between Level Of Anxiety And Serum Lipid Profile In Patients Followed By Anxiety Disorder

“…Panik bozukluk için literatürde yüksek kolesterol dü-zeylerini bildiren çalışmaların yanı sıra sağlıklı kontrollerden farklı olmayan kolesterol düzeyleri de olduğu bildirilmiştir (8,37,38,39,40). Çalışmada kontrol grubu ile karşılaştırıldığında panik bozukluk grubunda LDL kolesterol, total kolesterol ve trigliserid düzeyle-rinde yükseklik saptandı.…”