Association between Depression, Anxiety Symptoms and Gut Microbiota in Chinese Elderly with Functional Constipation

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anxiety, depression, and gut microbiota in elderly patients with FC. Methods: in this cross-sectional study, a total of 198 elderly participants (85 male and 113 female) aged over 60 years were recruited. The study was conducted in Changsha city, China. The participants completed an online questionnaire, including The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), The Patient Assessment of Symptoms (PAC-SYM), and The Patient Assessment of Quality of Life (PAC-QoL). We selected the 16S rDNA V3 + V4 region as the amplification region and sequenced the gut microbiota using the Illumina Novaseq PE250 high-throughput sequencing platform. Results: in total, 30.3% of patients with constipation had depression, while 21.3% had anxiety. The relative abundance of intestinal microbiota in the normal group was higher than that in the anxiety and depression group. According to LEfSe analysis, the relative abundance of g_Peptoniphilus and g_Geobacter in the people without depression and anxiety was higher. The relative abundance of g_Pseudoramibacter-Eubacterium and g_Candidatus-Solibacter in the depression group was lower, and the relative abundance of g_Bacteroides and g_Paraprevotella, g_Cc_115 in the anxiety group was higher. In addition, according to the correlation analysis, g_Aquicella and g_Limnohabitans were negatively correlated with constipation symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Conclusions: this study found that gut microbiota composition may be associated with a higher incidence of anxiety and depression in patients with FC, thus providing insight into the mechanisms that ameliorate mood disorders in patients with FC.

Constipation preceding depression: a population-based cohort study

“… 8 , 9 This association may be due to the potential gastrointestinal side effects associated with antidepressant treatments 10 or the gut-brain axis pathway mediated by gut microbiota. 11 A longitudinal study on premorbid constipation and later diagnosis of depression may complement the previous evidence from cross-sectional studies. 12 If this physical symptom happens before the onset of depression, it can also be regarded as a potential prodromal symptom.…”

Depression, anxiety, lower sleep quality and social support in square cabin hospitals during Shanghai’s COVID-19 lockdown, China

“…Al-Jassas et al also proved COVID-19 infected patients accompanied by lung lesions and low 2 might exert neuropsychiatric symptoms, due to the activation of immune-inflammatory pathways (30). Studies also showed that depressed people had a higher risk of constipation and vice versa, which might due to inflammation, immune abnormalities, energy metabolism, gut microbiota, and metabolites, like choline, betaine, and glycine (31)(32)(33)(34). In recent years, a large number of research on medical models has been conducted globally to improve the treatment effectiveness and patients' quality of life.…”

Efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture for functional constipation in older adults: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…Long-term constipation will not only lead to colon diverticulum, perianal disease, colon melena, and other anorectal diseases (11), but also become a common predisposing factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident (12,13). Some patients with severe constipation can also suffer from psychological disorders such as insomnia, irritability, depression, and obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors (14)(15)(16). Therefore, as the aging of the population increases, this disease will seriously affect patients' quality of life and bring a heavier burden to society.…”